Factors Influencing Attitude to Treatment among Patients with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus in the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Author(s): Agofure Otovwe, Odjimogho Stella, Okandeji-Barry Oghenenioborue

Background: Type-2 Diabetes mellitus could be well managed if patients adhere strictly to treatment regimen. Patient’s attitude to treatment recommendations has been shown to influence level of adherence to treatment. This study was therefore designed to investigate factors influencing the attitude to treatment among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 350 purposively selected patients with Type-2 diabetes mellitus. A semi-structured questionnaire was interviewer administered to obtain information on respondents’ socio-demographic characteristics, attitude to medication and dietary treatment, and factors influencing adherence to treatment. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to analyse the data with level of significance set at 0.05. Results: Mean age of respondents was 57.9 ± 9.8 years, 60.9% were females and 78.0% were married. Above average of respondents exhibited good attitude to medication (65.10%) and dietary (64.0%) treatment respectively. Analysis of the determinants of poor attitude to medication treatment shows; taking many drugs to get better quickly was the major contributing variable at (OR=2.08 95% CI=1.268-3.406). Major factors influencing adherence to medication and dietary treatment includes difficulty in sticking to recommended diet, Long queues and waiting times in the clinic; Side effects from recommended drugs and the least is doctors too busy to listen to patients complaints. Conclusion: Taking many drugs to get better quickly and many other factors influencing the attitude to treatment recommendations remains a challenge among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus. Thus, health education on diabetic care with emphasis on improving attitude to medication and dietary treatment regimen, among other strategies, should be organised regularly for diabetic patients.

Attitude to treatment, Type-2 diabetes mellitus, Niger Delta

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