Introduction:

Adherence to non-pharmacological treatment of diabetes mellitus is a key factor in avoiding or delaying the complications of this disease. Treatment compliance depends on multiple factors.

Objective:

To evaluate adherence to dietary hygienic treatment in patients with diabetes mellitus, especially nutrition and physical activity. Demographic variables and the presence of arterial hypertension were also measured.

Methodology:

An interview was conducted with adult male and female patients, carriers of diabetes mellitus, residing in the Sajonia neighborhood of Asunción, Paraguay, between May and October 2022. Demographic and clinical variables were measured. Adherence was determined with the Caro Bautista questionnaire, which consists of seven questions that evaluate the therapeutic practices of patients in the last week. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine of the Universidad Privada del Este, Paraguay.

Results:

Two hundred fifty-seven people diagnosed with diabetes mellitus were interviewed, with a predominance of females (61.4%), 73.9% reported having their own income and 49% also suffered from arterial hypertension. The questionnaire detected that 20.1% followed a healthy diet all week, 15.5% performed daily physical exercises, and 14.3% performed capillary blood monitoring regularly.

Conclusion:

Between 10 and 22% of patients with diabetes mellitus perform adequate diet and exercise, as well as glycemia monitoring according to the recommendations of their physicians.

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