Type and Duration of Diabetes
More than half (53%) of the diabetes patients surveyed knew that they had Type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes. Five percent (5%) were aware that they had Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Close to two-fifths (38%) of respondents reported not knowing what type of diabetes they had.
Over 62% of the survey respondents were diagnosed more than 5 years ago. Thirty percent (30%) were diagnosed within the past 5 years, while only 5.6% were diagnosed within the past year. Only 2 persons did not respond to this question, indicating a high level of awareness of the duration of diabetes since diagnosis.
Self-Care Practices
Over half (51%) of patients checked their blood sugar at home regularly, while 4% did so occasionally, and 1% did so rarely. Forty-three percent (43%) did not check their blood sugar at home at all. Patients attending the private clinic were more likely to check their blood sugar levels at home than patients attending the community center clinics (p