Diabetes knowledge and selfcare practices among patients attending THE Non-Communicable Diseases Clinic at Tororo General Hospital.

Abstract

ABSTRACT Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus has become a burden in low- and middle-income countries as people are living sedentary lifestyle posing high and escalating costs to society. Self- care practice, that forms the cornerstone of management for adults with diabetes has not been well addressed in rural primary care setting like Tororo in which the government of Uganda has instituted Non-Communicable Disease Clinic (NCD) as a measure towards combating the non-communicable disease mortality and morbidity. Diabetes treatment requires a commitment to demanding self-care practice so as to achieve glycemic control hence mitigate serious morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess diabetes knowledge and self- care practices among patients who are attending the NCD clinic at Tororo General Hospital(TGH). Objective: The study aimed at assessing diabetic knowledge and self-care practices of diabetic patients attending the NCD clinic at TGH. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study using quantitative methods. Total of 384 participants from the weekly outpatients NCD clinic with Diabetes mellitus (DM) were selected by systematic random sampling. Using an interviewer administered structured questionnaire data was collected, entered into Epi Data version 3.1 and analyzed using STATA version 14.0. Bivariate and multivariate analysis using logistic regression was done to determine any factors associated with optimal diabetic self-care practice. Results: The level of diabetic knowledge was 3.13%(12/384),63.95%(216/384) ,29.(156/384) for very good, good and poor diabetic knowledge respectively. Factors associated with optimal self-care practice include being single/divorced/widowed (aPR=0.82, p-value=0.001), having type 1 diabetes (aPR= 1.15, p- value= 0.007) and having access to a glucometer (aPR= 0.90, p- value= 0.003). Conclusions; Diabetes knowledge level in this primary care setting was low and majority of respondents had optimal diabetes self-care practice. Social support networks/groups and adequately structured health education could provide improved self-care among single/divorced/widowed. Glucose management scale, dietary control scale and physical activity were statistically significant predictors of diabetes knowledge.