IDF21-0178 Knowledge and Attitude of Community in Universiti Teknologi Mara (UITIM) Selangor, Malaysia towards Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a non-communicable disease (NCD) that is rapidly increasing and is notably a global public health threat in Malaysia. The complications of DM include damages to the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves. These usually occur in the community who are ignorant of the disease, have inadequate knowledge, and have low awareness of the treatment available to prevent DM and manage the complications. Aim: This study aims to determine the level of knowledge and attitude toward diabetes and the relationship with sociodemographic characteristics among the community of a selected public university in Malaysia (UiTM Selangor). Method: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among non-diabetic participants at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Selangor. The survey was conducted online, and participation was entirely voluntary using simple random sampling. A questionnaire containing demographic data and a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) Questionnaire was used to conduct the study. Mean scores were calculated for knowledge and practices, and the results were compared using chi-square and ANOVA. Results: There were 418 respondents. Most of them were female (81.1%) (n = 339) and male (18.9%) (n = 79). Most of the participants were 24 years old and below (81.6%) (n = 341). The majority of the study participants (65.3 %) had a good knowledge of DM with a mean score of 22.21 ± 7.35, whereas (59.3%) had a good attitude towards DM with a mean score of 42.53 ± 4.79. In total, 82.1% of respondents understood that DM is a condition with an elevated sugar level in the blood, and 89.7% of the participants knew that DM is a risk factor for obesity. Age (p = 0.012), heard about DM (p < 0.001), exposure to diabetes health education (p < 0.001), having televisions/radios (p = 0.002) and have a family history of DM (p < 0.001) showed significant associations with good knowledge about diabetes mellitus. Age (p = 0.009), education level (p = 0.058), heard about DM (p = 0.001), exposure to diabetes health education (p < 0.001), and a family history of DM (p < 0.001) were the factors that significantly associated with attitude towards DM. It also showed that there is an association between DM knowledge and attitude (p < 0.05). Discussion: Since diabetic health education indicated a significant association with the participants' knowledge and attitude, more emphasis can be given to early exposure to diabetic health education to the public to increase awareness and response towards diabetes mellitus.