Assessment Of Awareness Regarding Diabetes Mellitus Among General Public Of Bareilly Region In Northern India

Abstract

Background: The burden of complications of diabetes can be mitigated if the disease is diagnosed early and treated adequately. The global prevalence of diabetes is increasing exponentially and is projected to reach around 643 million by the end of 2030 and it will reach up to 783 million by the year 2045. A survey focused on KAP is a useful maneuver for accessing the quantitative & qualitative information possessed by the individuals. Determining the KAP associated with diabetes mellitus in general population may be beneficial in gaining a better understanding of the disease and developing viable preventive interventions specific to Bareilly region. Consequently, the current study was performed to explore the KAP towards diabetes mellitus among general population of Bareilly region in India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample size of 567 individuals from diverse areas of Bareilly district from November 2021 to April 2022. The peoples aged more than 18 years along with eligible to read & write Hindi or English language were included in this study. Results: Knowledge was assessed by means of 25 questions pertaining diagnosis, prevention, complications and risk factors of diabetes. Knowledge score (mean) was found to be 14.37 ± 2.42. Only 44.51% of participants found to have good knowledge (knowledge score ≥ 19). Characters like ‘level of education’, ‘close relative with diabetes’, ‘income’ and ‘education in the medical field’ were having significant association with good knowledge score (p < 0.05). Around 55.78% population showed positive attitude towards diabetes. Although the education related to medical field and level of education were found significantly associated with positive attitude (p< 0.05). Binary logistic regression showed both the variable as the predictor of positive attitude. The mean knowledge score of participants possessing positive practices in relation to doing regular exercise was higher compared with who do not do regular exercise (p<0.001). Conclusion: Conclusively, the current study can be considered as a baseline for nationwide diabetes awareness programs to revamp the knowledge of population towards diabetes giving more stress on the transformation of attitude & practices.