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Type 2 diabetes (T2D), a chronic condition affecting millions of people worldwide, is usually caused by the body’s inability to make enough insulin or use it properly.
Disease management is important to avoid long-term complications, including limb amputation or heart problems. To avoid negative outcomes, it is important that patients understand how to manage their disease on a daily basis.
A team of researchers in Portugal has now assessed how many patients – both insulin-treated and insulin-treated – have this important knowledge about T2D. They published their findings in Frontiers in Public Health.
Also Read: Mystery of Diabetes: Different Types, Their Causes, Signs and Symptoms, Treatment and Tips to Manage Them
“Our main motivation was to contribute to reducing the existing disparity in knowledge among diabetic patients about their disease,” said first author Professor Pedro Lopes Ferreira, director of the Center for Health Studies and Research at the University of Coimbra. “With this study, we provide evidence of the need to improve disease knowledge of type 2 diabetes patients.”
Knowledge levels vary widely
To assess diabetes-related knowledge, the researchers used a knowledge test developed for people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The test includes sections about nutrition, signs and symptoms, and medication control, among other questions. The study involved 1,200 people with diabetes, about 40 percent of whom were insulin-treated. The rest of the sample followed specific diets, some of them additionally took non-insulin oral antidiabetic drugs, while others relied only on diet.
The results showed that many participants (71.3 percent) could answer food-related questions correctly, and more than four out of five respondents demonstrated good knowledge about the positive effects of physical activity. More than 75 percent of the respondents also knew about the best method to test blood sugar levels.
However, in other areas, researchers found that there was a significant lack of knowledge. For example, when asked which foods should not be used to treat low blood sugar levels, only 12.8 percent of participants answered correctly. The lowest percentage of correct answers (4.4 percent) was on a question related to symptoms of ketoacidosis, a potentially life-threatening, late-stage T2D complication.
“One of the main reasons for this disparity in knowledge is probably the behavior of health professionals and the areas that are prioritized when informing patients,” Lopes Ferreira said.
equipping patients with knowledge
The researchers found that medication use was a factor that influenced T2D knowledge. The percentage of correct answers was 51.8 percent for non-insulin treated patients, and 58.7 percent for patients using insulin. Looking at socioeconomic and demographic factors, being under 65 years of age, having higher education, not living alone, and following a specific diet had positive effects on disease knowledge.
The researchers said their results highlight the need to improve T2D knowledge about certain aspects of the disease, for example, blood sugar monitoring, which can help prevent spikes in blood sugar levels associated with acute and chronic complications. Can help in survival. The team pointed out that lack of knowledge in different sections of the test is also something that needs to be addressed immediately.
They also said studies with more participants could help better understand the role of socioeconomic and clinical determinants of the disease. Lopes Ferreira concludes, “We focused on patients’ own knowledge of their disease rather than basing disease management solely on biological indicators. We hope that the results obtained will change the way professionals inform patients.” Will allow.”
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