Diabetic Patients’ Knowledge of Their Disease,Therapeutic Goals,and Self-management

Abstract

Purpose:

This study aims to assess diabetic patients’ knowledge of their disease, therapeutic goals, self-management, and its association with goal attainment at a hospital in Ethiopia.

Methods:

A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted from February to March 2012 at the diabetic follow-up clinic of Dessie Referral Hospital. Diabetic patients who came for their diabetic follow-up were included consecutively until a calculated sample size of 303 was obtained. Data were collected by face-to-face interview through a pretested structured questionnaire and by medical record review. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors of fasting glycemic control.

Results:

Ninety-nine patients (32.7%) had poor knowledge about their disease. The average fasting blood glucose was 226.57 ± 85.86 mg/dL, and only 61 patients (20.1%) achieved the recommended fasting glycemic goal (70-130 mg/dL). Diabetic patients who had poor knowledge were 5.53 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.85, 16.49) more likely to not attain fasting glycemic goal compared to those who had good knowledge. Patients who did not practice self-monitoring of blood glucose were 3.09 times (95% CI: 1.33, 7.21) more likely to not attain fasting glycemic goal than those who practiced. Failure to achieve fasting glycemic goal was 2.43 times (95% CI: 1.15, 5.13) more common among patients who did not regularly exercise as compared to those who did. Patients who did not adhere to their medication were 3.72 times (95% CI: 1.69, 8.20) more likely to fail to achieve fasting glycemic goal compared to those who adhered to their medication.

Conclusions:

Fasting glycemic control was below the recommended standard among the study participants. Glycemic control was poor among patients who had poor knowledge, did not practice self-monitoring of blood glucose, did not participate in regular exercise, and were nonadherent to their medication. This study population had poor knowledge about their disease.

Keywords

health care literacy diabetes patient education nonadherence treatment goals self-management Ethiopia

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