Determine the knowledge, usage status and related factors of functional foods on patients with TYPE 2 diabetes

The aim of this study is to determine the knowledge, usage and related factors of functional foods on patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for more than six months who are aged 18 years and over and who are applied to Dokuz Eylul University Endocrinology Clinic. The population of this cross-sectional study is 196 people. Minimum sample size was calculated by prevalence is 50% with 7% error. 196 people who applied to Dokuz Eylül University Hospital Endocrine Polyclinic between May and July of 2016 were included in the study. Dependent variables are knowledge and use of functional food. Independent variables were sociodemographic and economic features, health status features and information source of functional food. Data were collected by researcher with face-to-face interview and analysed using chi-square and logistic regression analysis. Mean age is 57.9±11.5 (21-77), %58.7 (n=115) were female. The prevelance of knowledge at least one functional food is %95.9 (n=188), use of functional food is %83.7 (n=164). In this study group, sociodemographic variables, family diabets story, perception of health, apply treatment, another chronic illness other than diabetes, dietitian counseling, doing diabetic diet, functional food counseling and information sources that friends or familiar have no significant effect on functional food use at this time. People who, doing regular exercise (OR=3.370, %95CI=1.201-9.458, p=0.021), information sources of functional food that health workers (OR=3.921, %95CI=1.106-13.894, p=0.034) and information sources of functional food that internet (OR=4.152, %95CI=1.176-14.661, p=0.027) uses more of to functional food at this time. It is important for diabetic individuals to be educated about increasing the level of knowledge about the functional food which increasingly widespread and not using them without consulting physicians and dietitians. Studies should be done in our country that measure and intervention functional food and their effects on health, information level of individuals and frequency of using functional food.