Objective: To assess the knowledge of diabetes in diabetic and non-diabetic individuals coming to a tertiary care hospital of Pakistan.
Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at PNS Shifa Hospital, Karachi from February to May 2018. All out patients diabetics of either gender between ages 20-80 years were included. The non-diabetic individuals that were included in the study were general walk-in patients aged >18 years. The sampling technique was non-probability convenience sampling. Diabetic Knowledge Questionnaire was adapted and modified was used.
Results: Questionnaire was completed by 201 respondents out of which, 100 were diabetics and 101 were non-diabetics. The patients with diabetes were older in 51-60 years group, were more males, and most had tertiary education, while among the non-diabetics, the age group with most respondents was in the age group of 41-50 years, more were males, and most had secondary level of education. Both diabetic (93%) and non-diabetic (81.2%) group had knowledge of diabetes (p=0.035).
Conclusion: The level of knowledge of diabetes in both diabetic and non-diabetic groups was acceptable except in one situation where both groups thought that mental stress and hypertension contributes to diabetes. Non-diabetic group did not know about the levels of blood glucose as compared to diabetic patients.
Key words: Diabetes, knowledge, diabetic complications, prevention.
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