Understanding Diabetes Self-Care: Knowledge and Practice Patterns Among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes at Federal Medical Centre Bida

Abstract

Background: Effective diabetes self-management is an important component of achieving and maintaining glycaemic control and reducing the risk of diabetes-related complications. Assessing patients' knowledge and self-management behaviours may help identify areas requiring improvement, particularly in resource-limited settings. To assess diabetes self-care knowledge and self-management practices and determine their association with glycaemic control among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the General Outpatient Clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Bida.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted among 70 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending the General Outpatient Clinic of Federal Medical Centre, Bida. Data were collected on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, diabetes self-care knowledge, self-management practices and glycaemic control. Diabetes self-care knowledge was assessed using the Diabetes Self-Care Knowledge Questionnaire (DSCK-30), while self-management practices were assessed using the 16-item Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ). Glycaemic control was classified as good when HbA1c was <7.0% and poor when HbA1c was ≥7.0%. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between categorical variables, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.

Results: The mean age of respondents was 57 ± 11 years, and 46 (65.7%) were female. Of the 70 participants, 45 (64.3%) had good diabetes self-care knowledge, and 60 (85.7%) demonstrated optimal self-management practices. Good glycaemic control (HbA1c <7.0%) was achieved by 22 (31.4%) participants, while 48 (68.6%) had poor glycaemic control. Self-care knowledge was significantly associated with both self-management practices (χ²=5.973, p=0.015) and glycaemic control (χ²=13.576, p<0.001).

Conclusion: Most respondents had good diabetes self-care knowledge and reported optimal self-management practices, although good glycaemic control was achieved by less than one-third. Diabetes self-care knowledge was associated with self-management practices and glycaemic control. However, the cross-sectional design and unadjusted analysis preclude causal inference. The coexistence of relatively good reported self-management with poor glycaemic control suggests that factors beyond self-care knowledge and reported behaviour may contribute to glycaemic outcomes.