Ahmad Taimoor, Tauqir Aisha, Tariq Heena, Qureshi Asra, Jalaluddin Shirin, I Khan Unab, Lokhandwala Naaznin, Khan Adnan Ahmad, Khan Ayesha
Akhter Hameed Khan Foundation (AHKF), Islamabad, Pakistan.
Research and Development Solutions (RADS), Islamabad, Pakistan.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2025 Jul 16;5(7):e0003087. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003087. eCollection 2025.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health concern, especially in Pakistan where an estimated 33 million people (aged 20-79 years) have diabetes. This pilot study explores T2DM risk using FINDRISC scoring, and examines participants' knowledge, attitudes, and costs of care related to T2DM across sexes.Adult participants (aged 25-65 years) residing in a low-income neighborhood in Rawalpindi, Pakistan were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data was collected via SurveyCTO® software-based questionnaire, incorporating the standardized FINDRISC tool and questions assessing diabetes-related knowledge, management practices, and the costs associated with disease management. Standardized anthropometric measurements were obtained for all individuals. Descriptive analysis, cross tabulations by sexes, Chi-square, and Fisher Exact probability tests were performed using Stata 17. The study included 260 participants (84 men, 176 women) with a mean age of 41 ± 11.8 years. Anthropometric measures revealed obesity in 44% and elevated waist circumference in 45% of men and 83% of women. Based on FINDRISC scoring, 9 (13%) men and 30 (30%) women exhibited a high risk of developing T2DM (p < 0.01). Despite demonstrating higher knowledge and positive self-management practices towards diabetes, a higher proportion of women were classified as high and very high risk of developing T2DM compared to men (30% vs 13%, p < 0.01). Among self-reported cases of T2DM (49 participants), only 63% reported paying for their treatment, with women reporting higher average monthly expenditures than men, though differences were not statistically significant. Hence, despite higher knowledge and positive self-management practice toward diabetes, women are at greater risk of developing T2DM. The findings suggest the need for expanded community testing using the FINDRISC tool T2DM risk assessment in low-income settings and linking high-risk individuals to healthcare providers. Additionally, targeted health awareness campaigns among poor urban residents, particularly addressing socio-cultural barriers that increase T2DM risk among women, are recommended.
2型糖尿病（T2DM）是一个日益严重的全球公共卫生问题，在巴基斯坦尤为突出，估计有3300万人（年龄在20 - 79岁之间）患有糖尿病。这项试点研究使用芬兰糖尿病风险评分（FINDRISC）来探究T2DM风险，并考察了不同性别的参与者关于T2DM的知识、态度以及护理成本。
采用多阶段整群抽样的方法，选取了居住在巴基斯坦拉瓦尔品第一个低收入社区的成年参与者（年龄在25 - 65岁之间）。通过基于SurveyCTO®软件的问卷收集数据，问卷纳入了标准化的FINDRISC工具以及评估糖尿病相关知识、管理实践和疾病管理相关成本的问题。对所有个体进行了标准化人体测量。使用Stata 17进行描述性分析、按性别进行交叉制表、卡方检验和Fisher精确概率检验。该研究纳入了260名参与者（84名男性，176名女性），平均年龄为41 ± 11.8岁。人体测量结果显示，44%的男性和45%的男性以及83%的女性存在肥胖问题，45%的男性和83%的女性腰围升高。根据FINDRISC评分，9名（13%）男性和30名（30%）女性表现出患T2DM的高风险（p < 0.01）。尽管女性对糖尿病表现出更高的知识水平和积极的自我管理实践，但与男性相比，被归类为患T2DM高风险和极高风险的女性比例更高（30%对13%，p < 0.01）。在自我报告的T2DM病例（49名参与者）中，只有63%报告支付了治疗费用，女性报告的平均每月支出高于男性，尽管差异无统计学意义。因此，尽管女性对糖尿病有更高的知识水平和积极的自我管理实践，但她们患T2DM的风险更大。研究结果表明，在低收入环境中需要使用FINDRISC工具进行更广泛的社区T2DM风险评估测试，并将高风险个体与医疗服务提供者联系起来。此外，建议针对城市贫困居民开展有针对性的健康意识宣传活动，特别是解决增加女性T2DM风险的社会文化障碍。
