Assessing diabetic lifestyle knowledge, attitude and practice and their associated factors in type II diabetic patients attending medical clinic at Nkhoma Mission Hospital

Chisepo, Patrick

Assessing diabetic lifestyle knowledge, attitude and practice and their associated factors in type II diabetic patients attending medical clinic at Nkhoma Mission Hospital

Date

2020-09-16

Authors

Chisepo, Patrick

Publisher

Kamuzu University of Health Sciences

Abstract

The problem: Lifestyle Modification involves altering long-term habits, typically of eating and physical activity and maintaining the new behaviour for months or years.(3) Lifestyle Modification is known to treat or reverse a number of Non-communicable diseases(NCD) and plays an important role in the management of diabetes toward achieving good glycaemic control, as well as preventing or delaying micro-vascular complications in patients with type II diabetes. Though we give patient education and counselling at Nkhoma medical clinic regarding Lifestyle Modification, little is known about patients’ intention, attitude, and actual practice of these activities. This study will help us to identify patients’ stated intentions and attitude factors that relate to lifestyle behaviors. Understanding these motivating thought processes will help us better relate to counseling individual patients, as well as improve diabetes education and empowerment programs. 7.2 Study design: We will carry out a descriptive quantitative cross-section study 7.3 Objective: The study aims to assess patients’ intention, attitude and behaviour towards Lifestyle Modification among patients with type II diabetes. Specifically will assess level of the patients’ intentions to engage in Lifestyle Modification, factors that are associated with Intentions to engage in Lifestyle Modification and factors predictive of Lifestyle Modification. 7.4 Methodology: This will be a descriptive cross-section study of diabetic patients attending outpatient medical clinic. It will use Diabetes Intention, Attitude and Behaviour questionnaire (DIAB-Q) to measure diabetes-related cognitions and behaviours for engaging in health lifestyle. A sample of 50 patients with type II diabetes will be enrolled using convenience sampling during the study period of two months; since the medical clinic at Nkhoma is done once a week on Tuesdays, it will mean the data collection will be done in 8 days over the 2 month period. The study will include type II patients 18 years and above who consent and have been known to have diabetes for at least 1 week. It will exclude those who are below 18 years and those who have had diabetes for less than 1 week.