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Illness perception, medication adherence and glycemic control among primary health-care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Port Said City, Egypt

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Abstract

Aims

Despite the availability of a wide selection of antidiabetic treatments, many patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) still do not have controlled glucose levels. This study aimed to assess illness perception, medication adherence, and glycemic control among primary care attendees with T2DM.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2019 and November 2020. A random sample of 265 Egyptian T2DM patients were enrolled from primary health-care settings in Port Said, Egypt. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits, and diabetic medical history were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire. The Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ) was used to assess diabetes perception, whereas the 8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS-8) was used to investigate medication adherence.

Results

There was a significant difference in B-IPQ scores between different groups of the patients in terms of diabetic medications, complications, and glycemic control (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference in MMAS-8 score found between different groups of the patients in terms of disease duration, family history of T2DM, and glycemic control (p < 0.05). Further, there was a significant difference in HbA1c score found between different groups of patients in terms of disease duration, medications, complications, and family history of T2DM (p < 0.05). Higher BMI, a positive family history of T2DM, patients who take insulin, high illness perception, and poor medication adherence were the factors associated with higher HbA1c level.

Conclusion

Higher HbA1c levels were linked to a higher BMI, a positive family history of T2DM, insulin users, high illness perception, and poor medication adherence.

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Change history

  • 12 November 2022

    The given name, family name was tagged incorrectly for the author “Hazem A. Sayed Ahmed” and corrected in this version.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their deepest appreciation for the PHC patients with T2DM who participated in this study.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

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Author notes

  1. Rabab Atta Saudi and Rokaia Atef Abbas are joint first authors.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt

    Rabab Atta Saudi, Hebatallah Nour-Eldein & Hazem A. Sayed Ahmed

  2. Ministry of Health and Population, Port Said, Egypt

    Rokaia Atef Abbas

Authors
  1. Rabab Atta Saudi
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  2. Rokaia Atef Abbas
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  3. Hebatallah Nour-Eldein
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  4. Hazem A. Sayed Ahmed
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Contributions

RAS, RAA and, HAA contributed to study design, data collection, statistical analysis, data interpretation, review and editing., HN-E contributed to statistical analysis, data interpretation and manuscript review. RAS and RAA contributed equally to this work and share first authorship.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rabab Atta Saudi.

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The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Saudi, R.A., Abbas, R.A., Nour-Eldein, H. et al. Illness perception, medication adherence and glycemic control among primary health-care patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Port Said City, Egypt. Diabetol Int 13, 522–530 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13340-021-00567-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13340-021-00567-6

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