Publication: The relationship between food insecurity and glycemic control among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients at Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia
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Date
2025-07
Authors
Anwar, Aina Nadia
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Abstract
Food insecurity (FIS) is increasingly recognized as a barrier to effective diabetes management. However, scientific evidence within Malaysian clinical populations remains uncertain. This cross-sectional study was performed to determine association between food insecurity and both glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at Hospital Pakar Universiti Sains Malaysia (HPUSM). A total of 114 T2DM outpatients participated in this study. The Malaysia Food Insecurity Experience Scale (MFIES) was used to assess food insecurity, while the diet domain of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) was employed to evaluate dietary adherence. HbA1c values from the previous three to six months were obtained from medical records to assess glycemic control. The majority of respondents were Malay (89.5%), and 73.3% were aged over 60 years. Socioeconomically, 73.7% of participants belonged to the B40 income group, with a monthly household income below RM4,850. The findings revealed that 33.3% of participants experienced food insecurity. Poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 7.0%) was observed in 68.4% of patients. Overall dietary adherence was low based on SDSCA scores (median=2.25, IQR=4.13). Data were analysed using Spearman Correlation test showed no significant relationship between food insecurity and glycemic control (p=0.984, r=-0.002), and between food insecurity and dietary compliance (p > 0.05) also using Spearman Correlation Test. These findings indicate that, in this population, variations in food insecurity do not reflect changes in HbA1c levels or dietary compliance behaviours. Further studies with larger sample sizes and longitudinal designs are needed to verify this relationship
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