Knowledge and self-care practice regarding diabetes among type 2diabetics: experience from a non-profit hospital chain in Bangladesh

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is generally being perceived as a problem of the developed world, but currently, people from developing countries like Bangladesh are suffering from chronic diseases of which diabetes is a major one. The aim of the study was to assess knowledge and self-care practice regarding diabetes among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) subjects. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 11,917 (age ≥ 18 years, 4418 males and 7499 females) T2DM subjects attending the health care centers and hospitals in Dhaka (Capital) and also in the northern part of Bangladesh operated by the local diabetic association. Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaire. The levels of knowledge and self-care practice were measured by predefined scores, categorized as poor (mean + 1 SD). Independent samples t test, ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlation were used to determine the association between different variables considering p value < 0.05. The mean (± SD) age (years) of the T2DM was 50 ± 12. The proportion of “poor,” “average,” and “good” score for knowledge were 34%, 51%, and 15% and for that practice were 16%, 72%, and 12%, respectively. Knowledge was significantly associated with practice ( r = 0.299, p = 0.001). The study reveals a difference between knowledge and self-care practice related to T2DM. T2DM health literacy program needs to be developed for better health promotion.