Avaliação do uso de produtos dietéticos e do conhecimento de rótulos nutricionais dos adultos portadores de diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

Adequate and balanced diet in calories and nutrients stands out as one of the fundamental principles for achieving good metabolic control of patients with diabetes, being essential for the prevention of complications arising from the disease. In order to this end, diet's and light's foods were developed for specific purposes, which are characterized, respectively, by the removal or reduction of some nutrient in its formulation, in order to improve the quality and provide possibilities for consumption of some foods suitable for individuals who have some restriction. In addition, food labels contain nutritional information that can influence food choices. Thus, the study aimed to evaluate the level of information among adult individuals with diabetes about their pathological condition, use of dietary products and nutritional knowledge about data contained in food labels. Socioeconomic, pathophysiological, dietary, professional guidance, means of information and use of dietary foods were evaluated. The analyzed information was expressed as mean, standard deviation and absolute frequency and percentage, in addition to the Chi-Square test. Seventy-one adults who were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus were evaluated, and after data analysis, the majority (53.52%), have a habit of reading food labels, as well as a large part of the interviewees (69.01%) make use of sweetener and consumption of diet and light foods (54.93%). In addition, most interviewees value the use of diet foods in the treatment of diabetes mellitus (50.70%). Therefore, it is important to highlight the need for multidisciplinary actions through health professionals in order to address existing doubts about food labels, especially food, as well as offering nutritional knowledge so that they can conquer the autonomy of food choice in a conscious way, aiming at the total understanding of food labels, which belong to dietary products or not.