Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences

Published by : PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS

ISSN 1681-715X

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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Volume 24

April - June 2008 (Part-I)

Number  2


 

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Knowledge of diabetic patients about diabetes
at the primary stage in Eskisehir, Turkey

Didem Arslantas1, Aleattin Unsal2, Selma Metintas3, Filiz Koc4

ABSTRACT

Objective: To define the demographic characteristics of diabetes patients receiving care at the primary stage to establish the number of diabetics with complications.

Methodology: Patients who were referred to Eskisehir central village clinics in Turkey were included in the study. A survey was conducted via face-to-face interviews. Four hundred ninety five diabetic patients were referred to the polyclinic within the study period.

Results: Majority of the patients had a positive family history, hypertension and obesity. Only 14.5% of the patients were able to check their plasma glucose levels by themselves. None of the patients had HbA1c level results in their follow-up files. In addition, they were unaware of what HbA1c signifies or what it entails. 21.9% of the diabetics developed a complication. Increases in age, positive family history, long duration of diabetes were responsible for the presence of complications.

Conclusions: Though the diabetics were attentive to their own controls but very few were able to check their blood sugar levels by themselves at home. Education of diabetics is extremely important to achieve desired blood glucose levels thus ensuring good control and prevent complications.

KEY WORDS: Type-2 Diabetes, Knowledge, Education.

Pak J Med Sci    April - June 2008 (Part-I)    Vol. 24 No. 2    263-268


1. Didem Arslantas,
2. Aleattin Unsal,
3. Selma Metintas,
4. Filiz Koc,
1-4: Medical Faculty,
Department of Public Health,
Eskisehir-Osmangazi University,
Meselik,
Eskisehir,
Turkey 26480.

Correspondence

Didem Arslantas,
Medical Faculty,
Department of Public Health Meselik,
Eskisehir-Osmangazi University,
Meselik,
Eskisehir,
Turkey.
Email: adidem@ogu.edu.tr
           darslantas@yahoo.com

* Received for Publication: November 3, 2007
* Revision Accepted: January 25, 2008



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