BELIEFS, ATTITUDES AND KNOWLEDGE ABOUT DIABETES MELLITUS AMONG PATIENTS ATTENDING A GENERAL MEDICAL CLINIC: A DESCRIPTIVE CASE CONTROLLED STUDY K M D J Rodrigo, S S C Silva, F H D S Silva, I D M Mabharana, S A S S Subasinghe, S T De Silva University Medical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka BACKGROUND Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was 13.85% among adult Sri Lankans in 20051. Addressing misconceptions about T2DM is known to improve diabetes control2. We compared beliefs, attitudes and knowledge about T2DM between diabetic and non-diabetic patients attending a medical clinic. Table 1. Demographic Details Diabetes Group Control Group Age (mean in years) 61.35±10.8 58.27±12.8 Gender Male – 34 Female - 47 Male - 38 Female - 43 Education level Below O/L Above O/L 39 42 36 45 Income level < Rs. 10000/month > Rs 10000/month 43 38 33 48 DESIGN, SETTING & METHODS Consecutive patients with T2DM attending clinics of the University Medical Unit, Colombo North Teaching Hospital, formed the study group. Age and sex matched clinic patients without diabetes formed the control group. Data was gathered using an interviewer administered validated questionnaire. Table 2. Evaluation of knowledge Number Mean Knowledge score Significance (p value) Diabetes status Diabetes Non diabetes 81 6.16 ± 3.5 5.36 ± 2.9 0.121 Education level Below O/L Above O/L 75 87 4.76 ± 2.9 6.62 ± 3.3 <0.001 Monthly income <Rs10000/month >Rs10000/month 76 86 4.49 ± 3.1 6.68 ± 3.0 RESULTS 81 diabetics and 81 non-diabetics were enrolled. The average duration of diabetes was 8.55 years (Table 1). Diabetics did not have a significantly higher knowledge score compared to non-diabetics. However, diabetics with higher education level and income had a significantly better knowledge score compared to non-diabetics (Table 2). Figure 1. % of participants who believed complementary therapies improved diabetes control Figure 2. Knowledge of T2DM Management Common Misconceptions regarding T2DM Diet 38/81(46.9 %) of diabetics thought jaggery was better than sugar. 33/81(40.7%) of diabetics thought brown sugar was better than white sugar. 17/81(21%) of diabetics thought honey/treacle was better than sugar. CONCLUSIONS Knowledge about T2DM and its management was poor among diabetics, highlighting inadequacies in health education. Many misconceptions about T2DM prevail in the community, which must be addressed to prevent long-term complications. References 1 Katulanda P, Sheriff MH, Matthews DR. The Diabetes epidemic in Sri Lanka- a growing problem; Ceylon Med J. 2006 Mar; 51(1):26-8. 2 Duke SA, Colagiuri S, Colagiuri R (2009) Individual patient education for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev Jan 21;(1)