Abstract

Food insecurity is associated with the increased incidence of chronic diseases related to food; most notably type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to determine the effect of food insecurity on blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Northern Aghawar region of Jordan (n= 310): 55.8% male and 44.2% female. A questionnaire was used to determine the participants’ socioeconomic features and food security levels. Food security indicators were adopted from World Food Program indicators. The results showed that 17.4% of the participants had food security, 25.8% had mild food insecurity, and 34.8% and 21.9% had moderate and severe food insecurity, respectively. It was found a statistical correlation between food insecurity level and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The results also showed a significant positive moderate correlation (r = 0.613, P = 0.000) between levels of food insecurity and the ability to control blood glucose levels and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Further, longitudinal studies must be conducted to assess the impact of sociodemographic features among food insecurity families on the control of blood glucose levels among participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus.