Diabetes Knowledge and Practice in Malaysian and the United Arab Emirates Diabetic Patients

ABSTRACT The aim of the study is to investigate and to compare the current levels of the knowledge, attitude and the practice of people with diabetes in Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. A cross-sectional prospective study, 403 diabetic patients were participating in this study, 202 Malaysian and 201 from the UAE. The data showed significant differences at the levels of the Knowledge, and the Practices between Malaysian and the UAE respondents with (P<0.001), while the good attitude was missing amongst the UAE respondents. This study had found that more than three quarter of Malaysian respondents (77.2%) were had a family history of diabetes compared to the UAE counterpart (64.7%). Interestingly, a high significant differences (P<0.001) were found in the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice scores between Malaysian and the UAE counterpart. The mean scores presented as (Mean ±SD) were higher in Malaysian than in the UAE study group; were knowledge scored (25.6±3.3 vs. 20.3±2.9), attitude (4.3±1.2 vs. 2.9±0.1) and practice (4.3±1.3 vs. 4.1±1.0). The UAE diabetic patients included in the study appeared to have poor knowledge, attitude and practice regarding their disease. These findings can be used to promote discussion in the profession and with stakeholders about any future diabetes care or to plan intervention strategies to promote awareness and reduce incidence of diabetes in this country. However, further work is needed to gauge the levels of the knowledge, attitude and the practice of people with diabetes in both countries