Exploring The Knowledge And Awareness Of Diabetes Mellitus Among Inhabitants Of Ho Municipality In Ghana A Cross-Sectional Study
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Date
2021
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Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development
Abstract
One of the fast-growing major non-communicable diseases (NCD) that poses a danger
to global public health is Diabetes mellitus (DM). Trends in the incidence of DM
indicate a disproportionate increase in developing countries due to the current rapid
demographic transitions from traditional to more westernized and urbanized lifestyles.
Knowledge of DM is vital for curbing or control. The objectives of this study were to
evaluate the level of knowledge and awareness of DM among the Ho municipality
general population, identify areas of deficiency for targeted health education efforts,
and identify respondent characteristics that may be associated with knowledge of
diabetes. A survey involving 132 respondents (aged over 18 years) was conducted in the
Ho municipality of the Volta region of Ghana. A 42-item pre-tested questionnaire was
administered to participants to evaluate general and specific knowledge and awareness
of DM. The Pairwise Multiple Comparison and Fisher’s Exact tests were used to test
the hypotheses and associations between the respondents’ knowledge level and groups
respectively. Of the 132 respondents, 22% were in the age range of 40-46 years; 72.7%
were female. The mean overall diabetes knowledge composite score was poor: 32.99%
(CI; 27.5, 38.5). Respondents performed best in the symptoms section: the mean score was
36.247% (CI; 29.0, 43.4); and worst in the section on complications: the mean score was
30.909% (CI; 23.6, 38.2). In multiple linear regression analyses, education level, older
age, own self having diabetes, and having a family member/relative/friend with
diabetes were significantly associated with knowledge of diabetes. Knowledge of
diabetes among the inhabitants of Ho municipality respondents was interpreted as
being inadequate at 32.99% (CI; 27.5, 38.5). Some deficient portions and factors
associated with knowledge of diabetes were identified. Relevant information for
targeted health education programs in Ghana and beyond may be considered as one of
such benefits of these findings.
Description
Research Article
Keywords
Knowledge, awareness, diabetes, attitude, perceptions, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana