Investigating the relationship between inhibitory control and dietary adherence among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus based on subjective and objective measures

BACKGROUND: Dietary management is a cornerstone of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) care, yet adherence is often low. Inhibitory control influences eating behavior, but evidence in T2DM is limited. This study explored the relationship between inhibitory control and dietary adherence in T2DM. METHODS: A total of 393 T2DM patients from three tertiary hospitals in China were enrolled via convenience sampling. Dietary adherence was measured by the Dietary Behavior Adherence Scale for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Inhibitory control was assessed subjectively using the BRIEF-A inhibitory control subscale and objectively using the stop signal task (SST) and Stroop task. Relationships were analyzed via Pearson correlations and hierarchical regression. RESULTS: Subjectively measured inhibitory control significantly predicted dietary adherence after controlling for demographic and clinical variables: overall model F (19, 373) = 7.096, p < 0.001; ΔR² = 0.069; ΔF (1, 373) = 35.219, p < 0.001. The Stroop task performance significantly predicted adherence to carbohydrate and fat: overall model F (19, 81) = 2.848, p = 0.005; ΔR² = 0.060; ΔF (1, 81) = 8.137, p = 0.006. CONCLUSIONS: Inhibitory control predicted dietary adherence in T2DM. Future studies should test whether inhibitory control training improves adherence.