Magnitude of fruit and vegetable consumption and its associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending health services at selected health centers in Yeka subcity, Addis Ababa: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

To assess the fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption, and associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) attending health services at selected health centres.Institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted. A study was conducted in selected health centres of Yeka subcity, Addis Ababa, from 2 March 2022 to 5 May= 2022. The sample comprised 285 patients with T2DM chosen by simple random sampling technique. Data collection was carried out via a structured questionnaire, followed by interviews and further analysed using SPSS V.25. Descriptive statistics were performed to describe the study population’s characteristics, while logistic regression was used to identify the factors linked to FV consumption.The study’s findings indicated that the recommended amount of FV consumption was low among study participants at 25.8%, with a range of 20.9%–31.5%. The consumption of FV was linked to various factors, including food prepared by house servants (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.23, 95% CI 1.01 to 4.97), having knowledge about FV intake (AOR 4.38, 95% CI 1.88 to 10.15), accessibility of FV (AOR 4.54, 95% CI 2.05 to 10.09), affordability to buy FVs (AOR 2.32, 95% CI 1.04 to 5.18), perceiving FVs as preferable (AOR 4.51, 95% CI 2.13 to 9.54) and awareness of WHO recommendations (AOR = 0.25,95% CI, 0.11–0.55).About one-fourth of study participants consume more than five servings of FV every day, which is the recommended quantity of servings. Eating food prepared by servants, having no information, difficulty accessing FV, not affording to buy FV, not perceiving FV as a preferable food for diabetics, having awareness about WHO recommendations on FV were factors significantly associated with FV consumption among people with T2DM. Hence health information dissemination about recommended FV consumption among people with T2DM should be strengthened.