Diabetes awareness in general population in Cameroon.

BACKGROUND

A good knowledge about diabetes could lead to early diagnosis and improved management.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the level of diabetes awareness in Cameroonians, and to identify factors that influence this awareness.

METHODS

In subjects aged ≥ 25 years (n=1000, 93.4% of response), details regarding risk factors, symptoms, treatment and complications of type 2 diabetes were collected. One mark was attributed to each true answer and a global diabetes awareness score was computed. Influence of age, gender, educational level, occupational level, notion of a relative having a chronic condition and presence of chronic disease were analyzed.

RESULTS

Eighty percent of subjects scored more than the total mean score. The highest score obtained by participants (0.10%) was 28/30. The mean total score was higher in men (p < 0.02) and in subjects with a relative having a chronic condition (p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, age classes (p < 0.01), educational level (p < 0.001) and relatives with a chronic condition (p < 0.001) were associated to the global diabetes awareness score.

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes awareness was generally good. This may be due to the fact that the study was conducted in an area where health promotion and health education on diabetes have been intensively delivered for the past 4 years.