jsmc-10077

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, PRACTICE AND BELIEFS AMONG ADULT DIABETICS ATTENDING DIABETIC CONSULTATION CLINIC IN SULAIMANIA

Amanj Abubakir Khaznadar *, Haitham Issa Al–Banna ** and Niga Hussen Rahim Saeed **

*    Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sulaimani.

**   Hawler Medical University/Hawler College of Medicine, Community Medicine Department.

*** Suliamani Directorate of Health, MOH-Kurdistan Region.

Submitted: 17/3/2015; Accepted: 31/5/2015; Published 1/12/2015

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.17656/jsmc.10077

ABSTRACT

Background

Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease with increasing prevalence worldwide. Providing patients with proper guidance and education would make significant improvement in their life-style.

Objectives

To determine the level and finding the correlation of diabetes-related knowledge, attitude, practice and belief.

Methods

Descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 332 diabetic patients at Diabetes clinic in Sulaimania city, from the 15th April to the 15th March 2010. During the interviews a questionnaire was filled including demographic, patients’ medical background, diabetes-related knowledge, attitude, practice and belief specific questions. SPSS version 15 was used for data analysis.

Results

Higher knowledge score was associated with younger age, higher educational level, office workers, positive family history, longer duration of diabetes, having received information, insulin use and regular pattern of follow up (p<0.05). Significant association was found between attitude and younger age, regular pattern of follow up and no dyslipidemia. Better practice score was associated with illiterate educational level, longer duration of diabetes (p<0.001) and on both insulin and oral hypoglycemic drugs (p<0.02). There was a significant association (p<0.001) between better belief scores and higher level of education, office workers and longer duration of diabetes. Weak correlations but significant found between knowledge and attitude, practice, and belief(p<0.001), while very weak and not significant correlation found between attitude, practice and belief (p>0.05).

Conclusions

The overall knowledge was good, while diabetes-related attitude, practice and belief were poor. A better educational program on diabetes should be conducted to improve patients’ attitude, practice and belief towards diabetes using mass media and strengthen health education in all health centers.

KEYWORDS

Knowledge, Attitude, practice, Beliefs, Diabetes.

References 

Full Text 

 © The Authors, published by University of Sulaimani, College of Medicine

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.