Awareness and knowledge of diabetes mellitus among diabetic patients in Puducherry, India

Background: Diabetes prevalence is high in India and the numbers are increasing every year. Many patients are aware that they have diabetes only when they develop one of its complications. Since there is a paucity of literature on the level of awareness and knowledge about diabetes, this study was done.Methods: It is a cross-sectional study conducted on diabetic patients attending Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Puducherry over a period of two months, using questionnaire. The demographic data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Quantitative data were expressed as percentages.Results: Among 104 diabetics, 60%, 49% and 66% of the patients answered high sugar intake as the cause of diabetes, loss of vision as its complication and diet control as the important measure of treatment of diabetes respectively. Only 30.67% of the patients were aware of the name of the medicine they consume.Conclusions: Awareness and knowledge about diabetes were less in our study populations. Hence it is important to extend the diabetic health programs in mass campaigns to improve their knowledge