Dr. Carla Miller, assistant professor of nutritional sciences, says, "Our recent study identified 15 common underlying food habits related to blood sugar control that people with diabetes were following. Among the people who participated in the study, the 15 food habits explained over 50 percent of the variability in their blood sugar levels over extended periods."
The study is described in "Food Habits Are Related to Glycemic Control Among People With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus" published in a recent issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. The authors are Dr. Margaret R. Savoca, Miller's former graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro; Miller and Dr. David A. Ludwig, co-investigator, Georgia Prevention Institute, Medical College of Georgia.
In the study, the researchers conducted one-on-one interviews with each participant that were audio-recorded and transcribed. The researchers asked about the participants's illness history, diabetes education and past and present eating practices; environment influences on food choices and meal patterns; and the challenges of maintaining healthful eating habits. There were 89 participants: 62 percent women, 48 percent African American, and 43 percent below 200 percent of the poverty level.
The participants also had a blood test for glycated hemoglobin to assess blood sugar control. Glycated hemoglobin indicates the average level of blood sugar during the previous two to three months unlike the standard test, which indicates the blood sugar level only at the time at which it's taken. The current study is the first to examine eating habits and their rela
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Contact: Barbara Hale
bah@psu.edu
814-865-9481
Penn State
3-May-2004