Self-Management of Diabetic Patients from the Urban Areas in Bangladesh

BackgroundThis study aimed to determine the knowledge about self-management and the effects of diabetes on the daily activities among adult patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. MethodologyA cross-sectional study was conducted from April to August 2021 on diabetic patients from Dhaka and the Rangpur district in Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from study participants. This studys researchers collected data via phone interview. The collected data was analyzed using Python (Version 3.8), Pandas, and ResearchPy (A Python package for research data analysis). ResultsOut of the 303 participants, all are middle-class service holders with an urban sedentary lifestyle. 69.64% and 30.3% are male and female, respectively, with 66% having post-secondary education and 35% having smoking habits. Most (68.32%) had onset of diabetic symptoms between 36-50 years, 23.43% with Type I and 41.9% with Type II diabetes. However, 34.65% of participants couldnt answer about their ailment definitively. 22.44% of participants were on regular insulin shots within 3 months of the first diagnosis, and 90% were satisfied with managing diabetes. However, 54.46% admitted to adopting an altered lifestyle after becoming diabetic. Males and females with both types of diabetes showed significantly different comorbidities in a paired 2-tailed t-test (0.012 and 0.02 for Type I and Type II, respectively). The male participants showed higher incidences of cardiac issues, while females showed a higher propensity to hypertension. 85% of participants were confident about their medication, course of management, prognosis, diet, and lifestyle for controlling diabetes. ConclusionsThe disparity in the number of male and female participants and the high percentage of participants with no factual information about their prognosis need to be targeted for further study, and a patient-friendly engagement/ information dissemination action plan should be helpful.