Strategies to support healthy food choices for adults living with low socioeconomic status and type 2 diabetes mellitus: an integrative literature review

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an increasing concern in Canada, with low socioeconomic status being a major risk factor. This review explores strategies to improve food access that promote healthy food choices among people experiencing food insecurity and living with T2DM. Whittemore and Knalf’s (2015) integrative literature review methodology was used to extract and analyse the evidence. Four key strategies emerged: 1) promoting healthy food affordability through incentives and disincentives, 2) understanding effective and ineffective food interventions, 3) enhancing nutritional education in the standard of care, and 4) manifesting empowerment through self-efficacy and diabetes management. These strategies can be applied by nurse practitioners within primary care. Aligned with a population health approach, they can direct practice, education, and research through healthy public policy focused on reducing the incidence of T2DM, particularly in people experiencing food insecurity.