Diabetes knowledge and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh

AIMS To explore the association between knowledge on diabetes and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 515 patients with type 2 diabetes attending a tertiary hospital in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Trained interviewers were used to collect data on socioeconomic status, time since the onset of diabetes, co-morbidities, anthropometric measurements, blood tests, knowledge and perceptions about the causes, management, and complications of diabetes through face to face interviewers based on a structured questionnaire. Diabetes knowledge was reported using a composite score. Chi square tests and correlation analysis were performed to measure the association between knowledge on diabetes and glycemic control. RESULTS Overall, 45.6% participants had good, 37.7% moderate and 16.7% poor knowledge on diabetes. The mean composite score was 0.75 ± 0.28 and the proportion of participants with a score of ≤50% was 16.7%. Only 24.3% participants identified physical inactivity as a risk factor for diabetes. Knowledge on diabetes was significantly associated with education, gender, monthly income, duration of diabetes, body mass index, family history of diabetes, and marital status but not with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Correlation matrix showed weak negative association between diabetes knowledge score and glycemic control (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Patients with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh have limited knowledge on the causes, management and risk factors for diabetes, despite receiving professional health education and care in a tertiary diabetic hospital. Strategies to improve the quality of diabetes education and identifying other potential factors for glycemic control are important for ensuring optimum management of diabetes in Bangladesh.