Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus with Regard to their Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Palestinians of the West Bank

Abstract

Background: In Palestine, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a rapidly growing health concern. This study was conducted to evaluate current knowledge, attitudes, and practices among Palestinian patients with T2DM in the West Bank and to assess association between knowledge, attitudes, and practices with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in primary healthcare facilities frequently visited by patients with T2DM across the West Bank of Palestine. A pre-validated interviewer administered questionnaire was used to determine knowledge, attitudes and practices of patients with T2DM with regard to their disease.Results: Data were collected from 220 patients with T2DM. Patients who were younger than 55 years old (p-value = 0.002), male (p-value = 0.038), never married (p-value = 0.001), employed (p-value = 0.003), had university degree (p-value <0.001), had higher income (p-value <0.001), diagnosed less than 7 years ago (p-value = 0.009), and had usual fasting plasma glucose of less than 140 mg/dL (p-value = 0.027) tended to score more than 50% in the knowledge items. Patients who had higher income tended to have higher positive attitudes (p-value = 0.041) toward their disease. Patients who were younger than 55 years old (p-value = 0.002), employed (p-value = 0.003), had university degree (p-value <0.001), diagnosed less than 7 years ago (p-value = 0.009), had usual fasting plasma glucose of less than 140 mg/dL (p-value = 0.027), had usual postprandial plasma glucose of less than 200 mg/dL (p-value = 0.027), had usual HbA1c of less than 7% (p-value = 0.027) tended to score more than 80% in the practice items.Conclusions: The study established correlation between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores with sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM in Palestine. Findings of this study highlighted the need for appropriately designed interventions to increase knowledge of T2DM and its complications, address the negative attitudes toward the disease, and promote healthy practices with regard to the disease. Future studies are still needed to assess if such interventions could be effective in improve health outcomes and quality of life of patients with T2DM in Palestine.