Awareness of Diabetes Mellitus and Associated Factors in Diabetic Patients in Nishtar Hospital Multan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Pakistan ranks seventh among the global top ten countries with the highest number of people with diabetes. The complications found among diabetics include retinopathy in 43%, hypertension in 37%, and foot ulcers in 4%. Access to affordable treatment and counseling about medication and lifestyle including physical activity and dietary practices is critical to manage diabetes and reduce its burden. Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to assess awareness of diabetes among patients with type-2 diabetes in Nishtar hospital Multan. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional health facility-based survey approach. A universal sampling technique was used to identify and select 98 diabetes in-patients in Nishtar hospital Multan, Pakistan. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics using the latest version of SPSS. Results: The main findings revealed that 52% of the study participants in Nishtar Hospital Multan showed adequate awareness of diabetes while the remaining 48% were not adequately aware. There was no significant association between gender, educational qualification, and family history of diabetes with overall awareness of patients about diabetes. However, a statistically significant association was found between the age of study participants and their overall awareness about diabetes. Conclusion: As Pakistan is ranked high burden country with diabetes, so there is an utmost need to look into the constraints of knowledge, attitude, and practices among patients with diabetes to develop future effective health education programs to reduce disease burden and related complications.