Diabetes literacy and knowledge among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus attending a primary care clinic in Seremban, Malaysia
- Author:
Lee Ching Li
1
;
Winnie Chee Siew Swee
1
;
Kanimolli Arasu
1
;
Kwa Siew Kim
2
;
Siti Zubaidah Mohd Ali
3
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Diabetes literacy; diabetes knowledge; type 2 diabetes
- From: Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2019;25(3):435-444
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
- Abstract: Introduction: Good health literacy and knowledge are associated with improved outcomes in diabetes. The purpose of this study was to determine diabetes-specific literacy and knowledge levels, and its associated socio-demographic factors, among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 196 adults from the Indian, Chinese, and Malay ethnic groups with T2DM who attended a primary care clinic in Seremban, Malaysia. The Literacy Assessment for Diabetes and Diabetes Knowledge Test 2 were used to assess diabetes-specific literacy and knowledge, respectively. Results: The majority of participants (75.0%) had literacy scores that corresponded to Ninth Grade Level but only 3.6% of participants had a good knowledge of diabetes. Literacy scores explained up to 19.8% of the variance in knowledge scores (r=0.445, p<0.01). Indian participants had the lowest literacy and knowledge scores when compared to Chinese and Malays (p<0.05). Participants with higher education had better literacy and knowledge scores (p<0.05). Educational level was more likely than ethnicity to predict both literacy and knowledge scores (p<0.001), while gender and age did not significantly predict either score. The majority of participants could answer general questions about physical activity, diabetes-related complications and healthy eating. Knowledge of diabetes and its relation to specific foods and the effect of diet on glucose control were limited among the participants. Conclusion: Education and ethnicity were associated with literacy and knowledge on diabetes. There existed a deficit of diabetes-related nutrition knowledge among the participants. These findings may help healthcare providers tailor individualised patient educational interventions.
- Full text:4.2019my0475.pdf
