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Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is an emerging public health concern. The aim of this study was to assess the gender-specific knowledge of patients about diabetes mellitus, its complications, and its management.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatient clinics of Faisalabad, Pakistan, from November 2017 to March 2018. Consecutive patients with diabetes, aged >18 years, were administered a validated questionnaire related to knowledge of diabetes, its complications, and its management. An analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results were stratified on the basis of gender and were compared using chi-square tests.Results: Of the 840 patients recruited, 76.4% were aged >50 years. About 57% were women, and 43% were men. Most men (89.4%) and women (91.7%) were aware that the management of diabetes requires a cutting down in the consumption of refined sugar, and 64.6% and 50.4%, respectively, reported that they exercise regularly to control their glucose levels. Moreover, 14% of the men and 25% of the women responded that they knew neuropathy is a complication of diabetes.Conclusion: Diabetes mellitus has debilitating effects on patients and communities. To effectively manage diabetes and to delay the development of complications, there is a dire need to educate patients, families, and communities.

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a major health problem worldwide that increases morbidity and mortality rates due to its complications. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge of diabetic patients about their disease, its complications and management. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in outpatient clinics of Faisalabad, Pakistan during March to May 2017. A total of 691 diabetic patients (verified from physician, medical records) were consecutively approached and a pretested, structured questionnaire was used to collect their information. SPSS version 19.0 was employed for entering and analysis of the data. Results:: Out of the total 691 patients 43.3% were male and 56.7% female. About 49.1% of the patients were below 50 and 50.9% were above 50 years of age. One third of patients (33.4%) think that diabetes is a communicable disease. The majority of the patients (90%) responded that in diabetes sugar and sweets have to be cut down and 82.6% knew that exercise is important for the management of diabetes. Approximately 58% patients responded that they exercise, while 60.7% replied that they monitor and control their blood pressure. Conclusion: The overall level of awareness in diabetics was found to be low and there is a need to educate the population on this topic. Public and private health sectors need to offer holistic services and training programs for health care professionals. These programs should focus on improving communication with patients, addressing misconceptions and sharing culturally sound strategies with patients for improvement in diabetes management.

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an emergent threat to public health, causing a burden of devastating complications and related health issues. In the modern era, the management of DM has greatly depended on awareness and knowledge dissemination and patient education about its significance. Aim: To evaluated the awareness and understanding of DM complications among patients with diabetes. Study design: Cross-sectional study Place and duration of study: Family Medicine Clinics in Faisalabad from 1st Sep to 31st December 2020. Methodology: One thousand, one hundred and eighty diabetic patients with age over 14 years from urban and rural areas were included. Non-consenting and seriously ill patients were excluded. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire based on demographics, personal and familial diabetic history and diabetes complications-related awareness items were used. Results: 83.2% patients were symptomatic, and 16.3% had an incidental diagnosis. Most of these patients were suffering from type 2 DM, and more than 40% never had their HbA1c level checked. Comprehensive assessment of awareness relating to diabetes complications showed that 75.8% knew about muscle weakness, lower limb sensory defect (76.9%), eye problems (70.4%), infections (66.8%), foot complications like amputation (63.1%) and hypertension (62.9%). A significant association was found between age and diabetic history with respect to diagnosis and familial history of diabetes (p<0.05). Moreover, the awareness of DM complications was significant among the patients aged 41 to 65 years (p<0.05). Conclusion: Most of the enrolled patients were aware of complications of diabetes, including muscle weakness, lower limb sensory defect, eye problems, infections, foot complications like amputation and hypertension. Female gender and patients aged 41 to 65 years had a significantly greater understanding of diabetic complications. Key words: Diabetes mellitus, Awareness, Complications, Clinical outcomes