Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences
Abstract
Background/aim: The aim in this study was to assess microbiota awareness in adults across different glycaemic groups and to investigate the association between microbiota awareness and HbA1c levels in a primary care population.
Materials and methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 330 adults aged 18–65 years: 110 participants with type 2 diabetes, 110 with prediabetes, and 110 without diabetes or prediabetes. Microbiota awareness was assessed using the Microbiota Awareness Scale (MAS), which was administered through face-to-face interviews. HbA1c values and relevant clinical data were obtained from medical records. Group differences in MAS scores were evaluated using both unadjusted analyses and covariate-adjusted models controlling for age, body mass index (BMI), and educational level. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess the association between MAS scores and HbA1c. In the diabetic subgroup, the model was additionally adjusted for metformin use.
Results: In unadjusted analyses, MAS scores were higher in the nondiabetic participants than in the diabetic and prediabetic groups (p < 0.01); however, this difference was not significant after adjustment for age, BMI, and educational level (p = 0.126). In the diabetic group, MAS scores were inversely associated with HbA1c after adjustment for age, BMI, educational level, and metformin use (β = −0.692, p < 0.001). The participants with diabetes reporting probiotic supplement use had lower HbA1c levels than the nonusers (p = 0.049), although this finding was based on a small subgroup sample. In the logistic regression analysis, age, BMI, sex, and MAS score were associated with elevated HbA1c (AUC = 0.875).
Conclusion: Differences in microbiota awareness across the groups were largely explained by sociodemographic factors, particularly educational level. Although higher microbiota awareness was associated with lower HbA1c levels in individuals with diabetes, the crosssectional design and potential residual confounding preclude causal interpretation. Further longitudinal studies incorporating dietary, diabetes-related clinical, and direct microbiome analyses are needed to clarify this relationship.
DOI
10.55730/1300-0144.6398
Keywords
HbA1c, microbiota awareness scale, prediabetes, primary care, type 2 diabetes
First Page
1524
Last Page
1534
Publisher
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TÜBİTAK)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
SEPETÇİ, C, & ŞİMŞEK, E (2026). Microbiota awareness and glycaemic status in primary care patients: A cross-sectional observational study . Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences 56 (5): 1524-1534. https://doi.org/10.55730/1300-0144.6398
