Assessment of knowledge, attitude, and practices of Lebanese diabetic patients and their relation to medication adherence and doctor-patient communication: A cross-sectional study
Hala Fahs, Sara Mansour, Diana Dakroub, Jana Hammoud, Aya Ibrahim, Aya Rida, Nada M. Kassem, Sami El Khatib, Zeina Shrayteh, Sahar Obeid, Samar Younes, Mohamed Rahal, Samer Sakr, Souheil Hallit, Diana Malaeb, Hassan HosseiniBackground
Diabetes mellitus, one of the major public health concerns worldwide, is a non-communicable metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and associated with micro- and macro-vascular complications. This study aimed to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices, as well as associated factors (medication adherence and doctor-patient communication), among Lebanese patients with diabetes.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Lebanese patients from February to August 2021. The questionnaire included the Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP), the Lebanese Medication Adherence Scale (LMAS-14), and the Doctor-Patient Communication (DPC).
Results
A total of 125 patients with diabetes were enrolled. Linear regression models revealed that participants with higher doctor-patient communication scores had significantly higher knowledge scores in the unadjusted analysis (B = 0.055, p = 0.030). This association weakened after adjusting for socio-economic covariates, including gender, monthly income, and work status (p=0.078). No significant association was found between attitude/practice scores on diabetes and doctor-patient communication scores, in both unadjusted and adjusted analyses.
Conclusion
Although better doctor–patient communication was associated with higher knowledge in unadjusted analyses, this association was not statistically significant after adjustment. Our study found that positive attitudes and practices significantly correlated with better medication adherence. These findings emphasize the need for improved health literacy and patient education programs .