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. 2026 Jun 10;21(6):e0330576. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330576

Magnitude of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations and associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients on treatment follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Arsi, Ethiopia: A cross sectional study

Nebyu Mekonen 1,*, Zewdu Hurisa 1, Enku Selamu 2, Tesfa G/meskel 3, Ayalneh Demissie 4,*
Editor: Muhammad Farooq Umer5
PMCID: PMC13252749  PMID: 42268798

Abstract

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem worldwide. Nonadherence to lifestyle modifications in individuals with type 2 diabetes poses a great problem.

Objective

This study assessed magnitude and factors associated with nonadherence to diet and exercise.

Methods

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 302 type 2 diabetic patients at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital of Arsi University. The data were collected via structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine the effects of independent variables on nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations.

Results

Of the individuals in the study, 247(81.8%) patients did not follow the exercise recommendations, and 157(52%) patients did not follow the diet recommendations for type 2 diabetes. Duration since diagnosis > 5 years (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.18–3.36]), doctors’ advice (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.24–4.47]) and family history of DM (AOR = 4.3, 95% CI [2.55–7.29]) were independent determinants of nonadherence to dietary recommendations. Similarly, female sex (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI [1.60–8.60]), duration > 5 years since the diagnosis (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.03–4.43]) and educational status attending only primary school (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI [1.33–8.34]) and only reading and writing or illiteracy (AOR = 6.7, 95% CI [1.86–24.29]) were independently associated with nonadherence to the exercise recommendation of type 2 diabetes patients.

Conclusions

Overall, in our study, many patients were nonadherent to diet and exercise recommendations. Female patients and patients who attended primary school or less and > 5 years since diagnosis were more likely to be nonadherent to exercise. The determinants of diet nonadherence were a lack of doctors’ advice, > 5 years since diagnosis and a lack of family history.

Introduction

Diabetes mellitus (DM) refers to a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) resulting from defect in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Chronic hyperglycemia in diabetes is associated with long-term damage, dysfunction and failure of various organs especially eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart, and blood vessels [1]. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the most common form of diabetes in adults, accounting for 90% of all diabetic adults [2].

According to a population-based study performed in 81 different countries, 439 million adults are expected to be diagnosed with diabetes by 2030. [3]. In Subsaharan Africa, the incidence of Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) is predicted to exceed that of infectious diseases by the year 2030 [4,5].

According to a systematic review and meta-analysis, the overall magnitude of T2DM in Ethiopia is approximately 5.95% for patients aged  ≥  40 years and 3.6% for patients aged less than 40 years [6].

Emerging evidence suggests that exercise training activates the expression of cellular antioxidant systems [7,8]. Therefore, regular and moderate exercise training can have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory systemic protective effects on type 2 diabetes patients [9].

In patients with established type 2 diabetes, physical activity improves glycemic control and reduces visceral adipose tissue and plasma triglyceride levels [10]. Physical activity also has a beneficial effect on glycemic control by increasing tissue sensitivity to insulin [11]. Healthy dietary habits, such as eating foods high in fiber and whole grain but low in fats, sugars, and carbohydrates, can help decrease the blood glucose level and subsequently reduce the amount of insulin needed [12].

American diabetic association (ADA) suggests that people with type 2 diabetes should perform at least 150 min per week of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise for at least 3 days during the week, with no more than two consecutive days between bouts of aerobic activity [1].

Diets rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts; moderate in alcohol consumption; and low in refined grains, red or processed meats, and sugar-sweetened beverages have been shown to reduce the risk of diabetes and improve glycemic control and blood lipids in patients with diabetes. With an emphasis on overall diet quality, several dietary patterns can be tailored to personal and cultural food preferences and appropriate caloric needs for weight control and diabetes prevention and management [13].

Lifestyle modifications among patients with T2DM are effective if healthcare practitioners understand patients’ reasons for adherence and nonadherence to diets and exercise recommendations [14]. Certain studies indicate that adherence to a prescribed diet and regular exercise is important for both the prevention and control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus [15,16].

Adherence to prescribed lifestyle changes has also been shown to improve glucose levels, decrease blood pressure and correct lipid abnormalities, which are factors associated with the micro- and macrovascular complications of diabetes [17].

In ARTH, we have many patients who visit diabetic clinics with T2DM who are non-adherent to lifestyle modifications, such as exercise and dietary recommendations, despite interventions such as advice and educational posters in the clinic. The problem could be patient related factors or the effectiveness and magnitude of the interventions performed, which were not studied in ARTH.

Assessing adherence to diet and exercise recommendations in T2DM patients will help identify the magnitude and associated factors in local areas, enabling targeted interventions such as exercise programs and dietary interventions, and if modifiable factors such as a lack of advice from physicians and nursing staff are noted, we can intervene with teaching programs to aid in increasing overall adherence to lifestyle modifications for patients with T2DM.

The results of this study will help health care providers provide education and awareness on diet and exercise interventions targeting specific groups of patients in the management of DM. Thus, patients receive appropriate care that fits them.

Therefore, objective of the study is to determine the level of adherence of T2DM patients to diet and exercise recommendations and identify socio-demographic, clinical and behavioral factors influencing non-adherence to diet and exercise recommendations among patients with T2DM on follow up at ARTH diabetic clinic.

Materials and methods

Study design

An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the magnitude and associated factors of nonadherence to diet and exercise modifications among T2DM patients on treatment follow up at the ARTH diabetic clinic.

Study setting

The study was conducted at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital. The hospital is found in Asella, which is the seat of the East Arsi zone, Oromia. The town is located 175 km southeast of the capital Addis Ababa. The ARTH serves a catchment population of more than 3.5 million people from Oromia regional states in the country. The hospital provides inpatient and outpatient services. In addition, this ARTH medical college teaches under graduate and postgraduate medicine and other health science students.

The ARTH diabetic follow-up clinic has a total of 2,463 patients, 1,500 of whom have T2DM. The clinic has 3 nursing staff members. Medical residents and internists work in the clinic all week. The study was conducted from January 1 to January 30, 2025

Participants

The source population is all T2DM patients on treatment follow up at ARTH diabetic clinic.

Patients with type 2 diabetes who attended the diabetic clinic at ARTH for regular follow-up visits were included in the study but patients who are acutely ill and can’t respond to questions; patients with impaired memory or who can’t respond to the questions and patients with disability were excluded from the study.

Variables

The outcome variables were nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations. The determinants considered in the study included demographic and clinical characteristics, and a number of behavioral variables. We examined the explanatory value of a number of socio-demographic variables included age, sex, marital status, children status, educational status, residence, monthly and income. Then we examined respondents’ clinical variables: duration of the disease, family history of diabetes, doctors’ advice and comorbidity. Lastly the study assessed behavioral variables: BMI, social support, cigarette smoking, Khat chewing and alcohol consumption.

Data sources/ measurement

The data were collected face to face using interviewer administered questionnaire that developed after reviewing different literature on related topic [18,19] The questionnaire was first developed in English and translated to Afan Oromo (the regional state language) by language expert and re-translated back to English to check its consistency. Data were collected by two Afan Oromo-speaking trained nurses at the diabetic clinic and supervised by master-level public health professionals to ensure data quality and consistency. Training was given for data collectors and supervisors for one day by principal investigator about the objective of the study and data collection methods. Each interview was carried out face-to-face and lasted approximately 20 minutes. Before conducting the actual study, the questionnaire was pre-tested for validity and reliability on 5% of sample size in Adam Hospital Medical College which is located 75 kilometers away from the study hospital and modification of the data collection tool was made on the logical sequence of the questionnaire, its grammar and how to conduct interview. During the actual data collection, close supervision was made by the supervisors and principal investigator on a daily basis to check consistency and completeness of questionnaire.

Participants were classified nonadherent to exercise, if a patient does not engage in moderate intensity exercise for at least 150 minutes per week and at least three times per week. It can be mixed with strength exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise [1]. Nonadherent to diet, if a patient uses simple sugar and sweetened beverages and simple starch (pasta, rice, white bread, cookies or cake), does not eat fruits or vegetables at least three times per week [20]. Participants were classified as ‘Non-adherent’ if they failed to meet any single component of the criteria for exercise or diet mentioned above, and ‘Adherent’ only if they met all requirements.

Moderate alcohol intake was defined as one drink per day for female and 2 drink per day for male [21]. One drink equals 12 grams of ethanol which is equivalent to one bottle of bear, a glass of wine, [21] 40 ml areke, 350 ml tella and 200 ml tej [22].

Study size

The minimum sample size was calculated using Cochran’s formula: n = Z2pq/d2 [12] at a prevalence (p) of 64.3% and 36% to nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations based on a study performed in Jimma Medical Center, respectively [19]. By taking the higher prevalence to get the maximum sample size: p = 0.643 and q = 1–0.643 = 0.357 and d, the tolerated margin of error = 5% at the 95% confidence level [23].

Thus, (1.96)2 (0.643) (0.357)/0.05x0.05 = 352.73724864 ∼353 patients. Since the target population is less than 10,000, we used the correction formula nf = No/ 1 + No/N, where nf is the corrected sample size and N is an estimate of the population size during the study period which is 1500. The corrected sample size was nf = 353/1 + (353)/1500 = 286 and by adding a 10% contingency for non-responses, the final sample size was 315 patients. Systemic random sample was used to select the required number of T2DM patients, taking every fourth patient (1,500/315 ~ 4.7 based on a visiting sequence) using the diabetic clinic follow-up record as a sampling frame

Statistical methods

The data were analyzed using stata version 25. Descriptive statistics such as percentage and frequency were computed, and the mean with standard deviation was used to summarize the continuous variables accordingly. Both bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed to identify significant factors associated with adherence. Those variables with p-value < 0.25 in bivariate analysis were considered for multivariable logistic regression analysis to control the effect of confounding variables. Multicollinearity was checked among independent variables using variance inflation factors, and then the highest VIF between the independent variables was found to be 1.299, which was below cut -off points. The model fitness was checked by using the Homer-Lemeshow goodness of fit test and found to be p-value = 0.551.The strength of associations was expressed using adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals, and the significance of associations was declared at a p-value of less than 0.05. Finally, the results are presented using charts and tables.

Ethical considerations

Ethical approval was obtained from Arsi University Ethical Review Committee (A/CHS/RC/138/2024) and permission letter was obtained from ARTH before field activities started. After a detailed explanation of the purpose, benefits, confidentiality of the information, and voluntary nature of participation in the study we obtained written informed consent from all participated T2DM patients prior to their participation. Name and other personal identifiers were not recorded to maintain confidentiality.

Inclusivity in global research

Additional information regarding the ethical, cultural, and scientific considerations specific to inclusivity in global research is included in the Supporting Information (S1 File).

Results

Sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents

Interviews with 302 of the 315 patients who were required were completed successfully (response rate of 96%). Among the participants, 171 (56.6%) were male. A total of 161 (53.3%) of them were aged above 50 years. Most are married 204 (67.5%) and the majority (91.7%) had children. A total of 55.3% resided in rural areas. The educational background of the participants revealed that 109 (36.1%) had attained only primary school education, 98(32.4%) had completed secondary school or above and 31.4% only read and write or illiterate, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1. Demographic characteristic of the participants in ARTH, 2025. (n = 302).

Variable Category Frequency Percentage
Age 30-50 141 46.7
Above 50 161 53.3
Sex Female 131 43.4
Male 171 56.6
Marital Single 27 8.9
Married 204 67.5
Divorced 33 10.9
Widowed 38 12.6
Children No 25 8.3
Yes 277 91.7
Residence Rural 167 55.3
Urban 135 44.7
Education Secondary school and above 98 32.4
Primary school 109 36.1
Illiterate and Only read and write 95 31.4
Occupation Daily laborer 10 3.3
Employed 48 15.9
Farmer 112 37.1
Housewife 73 24.2
Other 5 1.7
Private business 46 15.2
Unemployed(not working) 8 2.6
Income in ETB* < 5000 113 37.4
5000–10000 136 45
> 10000 49 16.2

Note:

ETB* Monthly income in Birr

Clinical and behavioral characteristics

Among the 302 participants, 54.6% had T2DM for more than 5 years. A total of 46% of the participants reported a family history of diabetes. A total of 52.3% of the participants utilized only oral hypoglycemic agents and 25.2% used only insulin, and the remaining 22.5% employed both. Twenty-one percent of the participants did not receive advice from health professionals regarding lifestyle modifications for T2DM. A total of 92.4% of the participants had social support. Only 14 (4.6%) and 12 (4%) patients chewed khat and smoked cigarettes, respectively, whereas 226 (74.8%) patients did not drink alcohol (Table 2).

Table 2. Clinical and behavioral characteristics of participants in ARTH, 2025. (n = 302).

Variable Category Frequency Percentage
BMI <18.5 26 8.6
24.9 - 18.5 226 74.8
29.9 - 24.9 50 16.6
Duration > 5 years 165 54.6
≤ 5years 137 45.4
Comorbidity No 123 40.7
Yes 179 59.3
Family history No 163 54
Yes 139 46
Medication Oral hypoglycemic agent 158 52.3
Insulin 76 25.2
Oral hypoglycemic agent and insulin 68 22.5
Advice No 65 21.5
Yes 237 78.5
Support No 23 7.6
Yes 279 92.4
Alcohol Above moderation 23 7.6
In moderation 53 17.5
No 226 74.8
Smoking No 290 96
Yes 12 4
Khat No 288 95.4
Yes 14 4.6

Among the participants, 179 (59.3%) had comorbidities (Table 2), with hypertension being the predominant condition in 155 (86.5%) and 67 patients (37.4%) having cardiac illness; 9 (5%) patients had asthma, one patient had stroke, and 17 (9%) patients had other comorbidities (Chronic obstructive lung disease, chronic lower back pain).

Magnitude of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations

Among the participants 247 of them (81.8%) were not adherent to exercise recommendations, and 157 (52%) of the participants were non-adherent to dietary recommendation of T2DM.

Reasons for nonadherence to the Recommended Lifestyle Modifications

The most common reason for nonadherence to dietary recommendations was cost of the recommended diet (47 patients). The most common reason for non-adherence to exercise was lack of interest (77 patients) followed by lack of knowledge (see Fig 1–2).

Fig 1. Reasons for nonadherence to dietary recommendations in ARTH, 2025.

Fig 1

(n = 152).

Fig 2. Reasons for nonadherence to exercise recommendation in ARTH, 2025.

Fig 2

(n = 247).

Determinants of nonadherence to the Recommended Lifestyle Modifications

Determinants of nonadherence to exercise recommendations.

Binary logistic regression was performed to identify associations between the baseline characteristics of the patients and nonadherence to exercise recommendations. Sex, residential marital status, educational status, having children, and duration since diagnosis had p values < 0.25. After that, multivariate regression was performed to identify independent determinants of nonadherence to exercise recommendations, after which female sex (AOR = 3.6, 95% CI [1.60--8.60]), duration ≥ 5 years since diagnosis (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.03--4.43]) and educational status attending only primary school (AOR = 3.33, 95% CI [1.33--8.34]), only reading and writing and being illiterate (AOR = 6.7, 95% CI [1.86--24.29]) were independently associated with nonadherence to exercise recommendations for T2DM patients (Table 3).

Table 3. Bivariable and multivariable analysis of determinants significantly associated with nonadherence to exercise in T2DM in ARTH, 2025. (n = 302).
Variable Category Adherence to Exercise COR AOR
Adherent Non-adherent
Sex Female

Male
12

43
119

128
3.3(1.67-6.62)** 3.64(1.60-8.30)**
Residence Rural

Urban
14

41
153

94
4.7(2.46-9.21)* 2.49(0.96-4.44)
Marital status Single

Married

Divorced

Widowed
14

32

6

3
13

172

27

35


5.7(2.48-13.46)*

4.8(1.51-15.50)**

12.5(3.09-50.95)*


2.18(0.57-8.33)

1.34(0.26-6.72)

3.60(0.57-22.42)
Educational status Secondary

Primary

Illiterate or only read and write
40

11

4
58

98

91


6.14(2.92-12.9)***

15.69(5.33-46.14)***


3.33(1.33-8.34)*

6.72(1.86-24.29)**
Children No

Yes
9

46
16

231


2.8(1.17-6.78)*


1.02(0.21-4.89)
duration since diagnosis > 5years

≤ 5 years
20

35
145

102
2.4(1.35-4.55)** 2.14(1.03-4.43)**

Note: *** very highly significant at p < 0.001

**highly significant at p < 0.01

* Significant at p < 0.05.

Determinants of non-adherence to dietary recommendation.

Binary logistic regression was performed to determine the associations between baseline characteristics and nonadherence to dietary recommendations, from which age, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking history, duration since diagnosis, advice from healthcare professionals, and social support had p values < 0.25.

Furthermore, multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify independent determinants of nonadherence to the dietary recommendation of T2DM, and the results revealed that duration since diagnosis more than 5 years (AOR = 2.1, 95% CI [1.18–3.36]), lack of advice from health professionals (AOR = 2.3, 95% CI [1.24–4.47]) and having no family history of DM (AOR = 4.3, 95% CI [2.55–7.29]) were independent determinants of nonadherence to the dietary recommendations (Table 4).

Table 4. Bivariable and multivariable analysis of determinants significantly associated with nonadherence to diet in T2DM in ATRH, 2025. (n = 302).
Variable Category Non-adherence to diet COR(95%CI) AOR(95%CI)
Adherent Non-adherent
Age(1) 30-50

Above 50
86

71
55

90


1.98(1.25- 3.13)**


1.53(0.85-2.77)
Alcohol No

In moderation

Above moderation
129

20



8
97

33



15


2.19(1.18-4.05)*



2.49(1.01-6.11)*


2.19(1.07-4.48)



1.74(0.63-4.77)
Cigarette No

Yes
155

2
135

10


5.74(1.23-26.66)*


2.96(0.53-16.47)
Advice Yes

No
132

25
105

40


2.01(1.147-3.52)*


2.35(1.24-4.47)**
Family history No

Yes
58

99
105

40
4.48(2.75-7.29)*** 4.30(2.55-7.29)**
Duration >5 years

≤ 5years
70

87
95

50
2.36(1.48-3.76)*** 2.14(1.18-3.36)*

Note: *** very highly significant at p < 0.001

**highly significant at p < 0.01

* Significant at p < 0.05.

Discussions

Magnitude of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations

In this study nonadherence to dietary recommendations was higher than study done in Nepal (41%) [24], Egypt (33%) [14] Jimma (36%) [19] Addis Ababa police hospital (46.3%) [25]. In contrast, this percentage was lower than what was reported in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa (75.9%) [26]. Different cultural eating habits, different operational definitions on the term nonadherence to diet and geographical difference could have contributed to the observed differences.

Our participants’ adherence to exercise recommendation is almost similar to finding from a study in Yemen (84.8%) [27], Egypt (83%) [14] and higher than a study in Nepal (46%) [24], Addis Ababa (53.7%) [26] and Jimma (64.3%) [19] which can be in addition to cultural differences, due to different operational definition used in those studies in contrast to this study which used the current ADA guideline [1]. The nonadherence was also significantly higher than that reported in other studies at Addis Ababa police hospital (22.5%), where more than half of the participants were military [25] who could be adapted to performing exercise.

Determinants of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations

Similar results were reported in other studies on the significance of lack of advice on diet and excersise [14,19,28] which could be due to a lack of knowledge of some of the recommendations. The other determinant was having no family history of DM which was not analyzed in other studies in respect to adherence to both diet and exercise [19,26] but this finding could be explained by the fact that having a family history could increase the familiarity with the dietary habits of diabetic patients. Furthermore, similar trend was reported in a study in Northwest Ethiopia [28] on significance of having DM for more than 5 years and nonadherence to diet, which could be explained by the fact that a longer duration of the disease could increase the likelihood of being fed up with following dietary recommendation.

This study was in line with the findings of a study in Jimma, [19] and Southwest Ethiopia [18], which showed that, females were more likely to be nonadherent to exercise explained by the culture of women staying at home with responsibility of raising children. The reason behind the association between not attending secondary school or above and exercise nonadherence, which was also evident in a study done in Jimma [19], could be related to a lack of knowledge of the recommended duration and benefit of exercise. Finally, patients with longer durations of illness (more than 5 years) might stop performing physical activity when they are accustomed to living with diabetes and get fed up with exercise.

Innovation and Contributions of the Research

This study provides several key innovations that contribute to the existing body of literature on diabetes management in Ethiopia. First, while many studies focus on general adherence, this research specifically disentangles the unique barriers to diet versus exercise in the Arsi Zone, revealing that ‘lack of belief in the benefit’ and ‘cost of available options’ are more significant inhibitors than mere forgetfulness. Second, the study explores the intersection of traditional lifestyle factors—such as khat chewing and specific local dietary habits—with clinical outcomes in a major referral hub. By identifying these localized behavioral and socio-economic predictors, this research provides a tailored evidence base for clinicians at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital to develop culturally-specific counseling interventions, moving beyond ‘one-size-fits-all’ diabetic education.

Recommendations

Health care professionals should give emphasis for these groups of patients mentioned above when managing and advising patients on lifestyle modification. Particularly, as longer duration of DM was associated with poor adherence on both diet and exercise they should be given emphasis and their adherence followed and encouraged on a regular basis. Furthermore, there should be a support group for female patients with DM to encourage each other and mitigate the effect of gender role on their exercise adherence. Significant numbers of patients give reason of lack of knowledge as a cause of their nonadherence to exercise therefore, Physicians and nurses should provide specific and accurate guide on the recommended 150 minutes per week exercise recommendation during patients’ follow up visits.

It is good to have case control study in the future to show cause and effect relation on the outcome (nonadherence) and associated factors as cross sectional study doesn’t establish causality.

Limitations

This research is not without its limitations. As we are only assessing patients’ responses to the question some patients may not report the true answer to avoid confrontation in addition to recall bias as well as social desirability bias. Despite our best efforts to account for a wide range of potential confounders, residual confounding might still exist. While the study provides valuable insights for the Asella region, it is possible that the findings may not be applicable to other settings with different medical practices, healthcare systems, or demographics.

Supporting information

S1 File. inclusivity in global research questionnaire.

(DOCX)

pone.0330576.s001.docx (77.7KB, docx)
S2 Appendix. Survey Questionnaire.

The English version of the interviewer-administered questionnaire used to collect socio-demographic, clinical, and behavioral data.

(DOCX)

pone.0330576.s002.docx (30.6KB, docx)
S3 Data. Dataset: Anonymized Raw Data.

This file contains the fully anonymized primary data used for the analysis of nonadherence to diet and exercise among T2DM patients at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital. Identifying information has been removed to ensure participant privacy.

(CSV)

pone.0330576.s003.csv (26.2KB, csv)

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the staff at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital and the study participants for their cooperation.

Data Availability

All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.

Funding Statement

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

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Decision Letter 0

Muhammad Farooq Umer

23 Feb 2026

-->PONE-D-25-38418-->-->Magnitude of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations and associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients on treatment follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Arsi, Ethiopia: A cross sectional study-->-->PLOS One

Dear Dr. Mekonen,

Thank you for submitting your manuscript to PLOS ONE. After careful consideration, we feel that it has merit but does not fully meet PLOS ONE’s publication criteria as it currently stands. Therefore, we invite you to submit a revised version of the manuscript that addresses the points raised during the review process.

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We look forward to receiving your revised manuscript.

Kind regards,

Muhammad Farooq Umer, PhD Epidemiology and Health Statistics

Academic Editor

PLOS One

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Additional Editor Comments:

The reviewers find the topic relevant and potentially valuable in highlighting diet and exercise habits in an Ethiopian population. However, substantial revisions are required before the manuscript can be considered further. The Introduction should be streamlined to focus more clearly on the study rationale, with background material reduced or moved to the Discussion. Greater methodological transparency is needed, including a clearer description of the diet and exercise assessment instrument (preferably with the full questionnaire provided as a supplementary file), clarification of who conducted the interviews and their training, and improved adherence to STROBE reporting guidelines for observational studies. Several tables and figures require formatting correction and proofreading. In addition, the Discussion should avoid repeating results and instead provide deeper interpretation of the observed associations, clearly articulate the innovative contributions of the study, and ensure that recommendations for future research are logically derived from the findings.

[Note: HTML markup is below. Please do not edit.]

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

-->Comments to the Author

1. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. -->

Reviewer #1: Partly

Reviewer #2: Partly

**********

-->2. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->

Reviewer #1: I Don't Know

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->3. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->4. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.-->

Reviewer #1: Yes

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->5. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)-->

Reviewer #1: 1. What are the key innovations of this research? Please include a section on the innovation points in the discussion part.

2. Please avoid repeating results in the discussion part. Instead, focus on why these associations might exist (e.g., cultural norms, gender roles, health literacy).

3. Recommendations for future research should be made based on the results of this study. However, the association and logic between the suggestions and the research results are relatively poor.

4. Better to write this manuscript according to the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology.

Reviewer #2: Dear Authors,

the present study is intersting due to the fact that highlights the diet and exercise habits of a population in Ethiopia. There are some revisions that could be made to make the article more readable and to present with more emphasis your results.

First of all, the introduction sections should be shorter and its information could be part of discussion. Secondly, in the material method or as a supplementary file you should provide the questions for diet and exercise habits, because it is not very clear the exact strucure of the interview. Also, those conducting the interview were students or health care professionals, please mention it.

Thirdly, revise table 3, table 4 and figures 1 and 2, because the do not have the right alignment and some words have mistakes.

Finally, it would be helpful if you make some comparison with Europe/ Asia/ American populations in order to highlight the differences between the developed and developing countries. This is not so important, thus the target group is specified.

Kind Regards

**********

-->6. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.-->

Reviewer #1: No

Reviewer #2: No

**********

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PLoS One. 2026 Jun 10;21(6):e0330576. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330576.r002

Author response to Decision Letter 1


14 Apr 2026

Point-by-Point Response to Reviewers

Manuscript ID: PONE-D-25-38418 Title: Magnitude of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations and associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients on treatment follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Arsi, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Journal Requirements:

• Data Anonymization: We have replaced the previous data file with a fully anonymized version. All potential identifiers, including internal hospital IDs and specific location notes have been permanently deleted.

• Table References and Formatting: We have updated the text to ensure all tables (specifically Tables 3 and 4) are explicitly cited in the Results section. Furthermore, all tables have been reformatted to comply with Vancouver style requirements, ensuring clear headers, appropriate gridline usage, and standardized statistical reporting.

• Inclusivity Questionnaire: The "Inclusivity in Global Research" questionnaire has been completed and uploaded as a Supporting Information file.

Reviewer #1:

1. Innovation Points: A new subsection titled "Innovation and Contributions of the Research" has been added to the Discussion. It highlights the focus on specific barriers like "lack of belief in benefit" and the cultural context of the Arsi Zone.

2. Repeating Results: The Discussion has been revised to focus on the interpretation of associations (e.g., gender roles and health literacy) rather than restating the results.

3. Future Research: Recommendations for future research have been updated to align more logically with our findings regarding the duration of illness and lifestyle advice.

4. STROBE Guidelines: The manuscript has been audited and restructured to comply with the STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies.

Reviewer #2:

1. Introduction Length: The Introduction has been streamlined, and background information has been moved to the Discussion where appropriate.

2. Interview Structure: We have included the survey questionnaire as S1 Appendix. We have also clarified that data were collected by two trained, Afan Oromo-speaking nurses and supervised by master-level public health professionals.

3. Table/Figure Formatting: Tables 3 and 4, and Figures 1 and 2, have been reformatted for alignment and corrected for typographical errors.

4. International Comparisons: We have added comparative context in the Discussion regarding adherence rates in other global regions to highlight the differences between developed and developing nations.

Attachment

Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

pone.0330576.s004.docx (16.7KB, docx)

Decision Letter 1

Muhammad Farooq Umer

7 May 2026

Magnitude of nonadherence to diet and exercise recommendations and associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients on treatment follow-up at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital, Arsi, Ethiopia: A cross sectional study

PONE-D-25-38418R1

Dear Dr. Mekonen,

We’re pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been judged scientifically suitable for publication and will be formally accepted for publication once it meets all outstanding technical requirements.

Within one week, you’ll receive an e-mail detailing the required amendments. When these have been addressed, you’ll receive a formal acceptance letter and your manuscript will be scheduled for publication.

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If your institution or institutions have a press office, please notify them about your upcoming paper to help maximize its impact. If they’ll be preparing press materials, please inform our press team as soon as possible -- no later than 48 hours after receiving the formal acceptance. Your manuscript will remain under strict press embargo until 2 pm Eastern Time on the date of publication. For more information, please contact onepress@plos.org.

Kind regards,

Muhammad Farooq Umer, PhD Epidemiology and Health Statistics

Academic Editor

PLOS One

Additional Editor Comments (optional):

Reviewers' comments:

Reviewer's Responses to Questions

-->Comments to the Author

1. If the authors have adequately addressed your comments raised in a previous round of review and you feel that this manuscript is now acceptable for publication, you may indicate that here to bypass the “Comments to the Author” section, enter your conflict of interest statement in the “Confidential to Editor” section, and submit your "Accept" recommendation.-->

Reviewer #2: All comments have been addressed

**********

-->2. Is the manuscript technically sound, and do the data support the conclusions?

The manuscript must describe a technically sound piece of scientific research with data that supports the conclusions. Experiments must have been conducted rigorously, with appropriate controls, replication, and sample sizes. The conclusions must be drawn appropriately based on the data presented. -->

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->3. Has the statistical analysis been performed appropriately and rigorously? -->

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->4. Have the authors made all data underlying the findings in their manuscript fully available?

The PLOS Data policy requires authors to make all data underlying the findings described in their manuscript fully available without restriction, with rare exception (please refer to the Data Availability Statement in the manuscript PDF file). The data should be provided as part of the manuscript or its supporting information, or deposited to a public repository. For example, in addition to summary statistics, the data points behind means, medians and variance measures should be available. If there are restrictions on publicly sharing data—e.g. participant privacy or use of data from a third party—those must be specified.-->

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->5. Is the manuscript presented in an intelligible fashion and written in standard English?

PLOS ONE does not copyedit accepted manuscripts, so the language in submitted articles must be clear, correct, and unambiguous. Any typographical or grammatical errors should be corrected at revision, so please note any specific errors here.-->

Reviewer #2: Yes

**********

-->6. Review Comments to the Author

Please use the space provided to explain your answers to the questions above. You may also include additional comments for the author, including concerns about dual publication, research ethics, or publication ethics. (Please upload your review as an attachment if it exceeds 20,000 characters)-->

Reviewer #2: Dear authors,

Great improvement in your research. In my opinion, the manuscript has been improved enough to be published.

Kind regards

**********

-->7. PLOS authors have the option to publish the peer review history of their article (what does this mean?). If published, this will include your full peer review and any attached files.

If you choose “no”, your identity will remain anonymous but your review may still be made public.

Do you want your identity to be public for this peer review? For information about this choice, including consent withdrawal, please see our Privacy Policy.-->

Reviewer #2: No

**********

Acceptance letter

Muhammad Farooq Umer

PONE-D-25-38418R1

PLOS One

Dear Dr. Mekonen,

I'm pleased to inform you that your manuscript has been deemed suitable for publication in PLOS One. Congratulations! Your manuscript is now being handed over to our production team.

At this stage, our production department will prepare your paper for publication. This includes ensuring the following:

* All references, tables, and figures are properly cited

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* There are no issues that prevent the paper from being properly typeset

You will receive further instructions from the production team, including instructions on how to review your proof when it is ready. Please keep in mind that we are working through a large volume of accepted articles, so please give us a few days to review your paper and let you know the next and final steps.

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If we can help with anything else, please email us at customercare@plos.org.

Thank you for submitting your work to PLOS ONE and supporting open access.

Kind regards,

PLOS ONE Editorial Office Staff

on behalf of

Dr. Muhammad Farooq Umer

Academic Editor

PLOS One

Associated Data

    This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.

    Supplementary Materials

    S1 File. inclusivity in global research questionnaire.

    (DOCX)

    pone.0330576.s001.docx (77.7KB, docx)
    S2 Appendix. Survey Questionnaire.

    The English version of the interviewer-administered questionnaire used to collect socio-demographic, clinical, and behavioral data.

    (DOCX)

    pone.0330576.s002.docx (30.6KB, docx)
    S3 Data. Dataset: Anonymized Raw Data.

    This file contains the fully anonymized primary data used for the analysis of nonadherence to diet and exercise among T2DM patients at Asella Referral and Teaching Hospital. Identifying information has been removed to ensure participant privacy.

    (CSV)

    pone.0330576.s003.csv (26.2KB, csv)
    Attachment

    Submitted filename: Response to Reviewers.docx

    pone.0330576.s004.docx (16.7KB, docx)

    Data Availability Statement

    All relevant data are within the paper and its Supporting Information files.


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