Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on Diabetes among Malay Villagers of Tanjung Tualang, Perak

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease which is rapidly rising in incidence and prevalence worldwide. The issues of poor control of this disease have led to various complications or even death. Many factors have been shown to be associated with the incidence and long-term survivorship of the disease, however the intervention and treatment of the disease have not been successful in halting this pandemic. The study was done to determine the prevalence of diabetes among the residents in Kampung Batu 7 and Kampung Batu 8, Tanjung Tualang, Perak and the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice among diabetic patients there. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in Kampung Batu 7 and Kampung Batu 8, Tanjung Tualang, Kinta District, Perak. A total of 253 Malay individuals aged 18 and above were selected for the study. A diabetic patient was defined as an individual who has been clinically diagnosed with diabetes before and/or those who are currently taking medication for diabetes. All respondents were asked to answer the questionnaire on knowledge concerning diabetes and its main symptoms. The diabetic patients were further asked about their attitude and practice in controlling the blood sugar levels and their awareness of the complications of the disease. The questionnaire consists of 10 questions on general knowledge about diabetes and its main symptoms; 8 questions on attitude towards diabetes control;, 8 questions about their practice of controlling diabetes; and 6 questions on their awareness of diabetes complications. All components were scored, and the medians were used to classify the level of KAP. Results: Out of 187 respondents participated in the study (response rate of 74%), 64 (34.2%) were having diabetes mellitus. Men and women were equally affected, and participants aged 51 years old and above make up the highest fraction (51.1%). Based on analysis, 59.4% of the respondents had good knowledge on diabetes. Men and women were equally knowledgeable. 51.6% of diabetics had a poor attitude towards their diabetes and only 54.7% of the diabetics practiced a good diabetes care. In terms of awareness to diabetes complication, 73.4% had good awareness. Among diabetics, no significant association was found between their level of knowledge with attitude and practice. There was also no significant association found between knowledge, attitude, and practice of diabetes respondents with sociodemographic factors. However, diabetics aged 51 and above had a significantly more aware about diabetic complication as compared the younger age group. Conclusion: The study showed that the prevalence of known diabetes in this area was about three times higher than the national average and affected mostly the senior age group. Only 60% of adult population here have good knowledge on diabetes. The knowledge, attitude, and practice on diabetes care among diabetics here were comparatively low. More efforts on health education and behavioral modifications by the health authorities and the empowerment of the community should be activated to fight against this pandemic.