Diabetes Mellitus is a disease due to reduced insulin sensitivity and secretion in the body which associated with obesity and hypertension. This study aimed to determine the influence of family support and self-motivation towards dietary compliance and glycaemic control among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) outpatients. This cross-sectional study involved 35 subjects selected from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre (UKMMC) in Cheras and Ampangan Health Clinic in Seremban. Anthropometric measurements and fasting blood glucose have been obtained. Face-to-face interview session was done to obtain socio-demographic and diet intake. Further, dietary compliance, social support and self-motivation were assessed using Summary Diabetes Self Care Activities (SDSCA), Diabetes Social Support Questionnaire Family version (DSSQ-Fa) and Treatment Self-Regulation Questionnaire (TSRQ), respectively. Only 8.6% of subjects complied with dietary counselling. Fasting blood glucose for both men (7.93 ± 1.99 mmol/L) and women (8.77 ± 3.08 mmol/L) were higher than normal range. Self-motivation (r = 0.358, p < 0.05) and family support (r = 0.460, p < 0.01) significantly correlated with dietary compliance. Self-motivation and family support are important factors which can increase compliance towards dietary counseling. Further investigation should be carried out to determine factors that may influence dietary compliance and family support towards achieving desirable glycaemic control among T2DM patients.
Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTIONThe aim of this study was to determine the extent to which primary care doctors assessed patients newly diagnosed with hypertension for the risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) during the patients' first clinic visit for hypertension. The study also aimed to examine the trend of assessment for CVD risk factors over a 15-year period.

METHODSThis retrospective study was conducted between January and May 2012. Data was extracted from the paper-based medical records of patients with hypertension using a 1:4 systematic random sampling method. Data collected included CVD risk factors and a history of target organ damage (TOD), which were identified during the patient's first visit to the primary care doctor for hypertension, as well as the results of the physical examinations and investigations performed during the same visit.

RESULTSA total of 1,060 medical records were reviewed. We found that assessment of CVD risk factors during the first clinic visit for hypertension was poor (5.4%-40.8%). Assessments for a history of TOD were found in only 5.8%-11.8% of the records, and documented physical examinations and investigations for the assessment of TOD and secondary hypertension ranged from 0.1%-63.3%. Over time, there was a decreasing trend in the percentage of documented physical examinations performed, but an increasing trend in the percentage of investigations ordered.

CONCLUSIONThere was poor assessment of the patients' CVD risk factors, secondary causes of hypertension and TOD at their first clinic visit for hypertension. The trends observed in the assessment suggest an over-reliance on investigations over clinical examinations.

Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; diagnosis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Physicians, Family ; Primary Health Care ; methods ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Factors