ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to analyze patients knowledge about therapeutic goals for diabetic patients and factors associated with good knowledge. A total of 266 diabetic patients were randomly selected from 6 diabetes clinics in Kuwait to be included in a cross-sectional patient survey. Data were collected via face-to-face structured interviews using a pretested questionnaire. Descriptive and logistic regression analysis was used in data analysis. The response rate was 93% [n = 247]. The percentages [95% confidence interval [Cl]] of patients who reported knowing their recent levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], blood pressure [BP], and glycosylated hemoglobin [HbAlc] were 5% [2-8], 54% [48-60], and 8% [5-11], respectively. The percentages [95% Cl] of patients who admitted knowing the target goals for LDL-C, BP, HbAlc, fasting, and postprandial blood glucose levels were 3% [1-6], 49% [43-55], 6% [3-9], 62% [56-68] and 55% [49-61], respectively. Correct target goals for LDL-C, BP, HbAlc, fasting, and postprandial blood glucose levels were reported by 2% [1-4], 43% [37-49], 5% [2-8], 60% [54-66], and 47% [1-53], respectively. Those with a high education [OR = 4.76; 95% Cl 2.34-9.68] and those with a family history of diabetes [OR = 3.05; 95% Cl 1.50-6.19] had good knowledge about correct targets. The current findings revealed that lack of knowledge about recent levels of BP, LDL-C and HbAlc and therapeutic goals was alarmingly high, which highlights the need for the implementation of an effective multidisci-plinary team approach to encourage patient education and Self-Care
ABSTRACT
Our aim was to assess students' preparedness for the smoking cessation role after a teaching module on tobacco cessation and to assess the relationship between smoking status and preparedness. Pharmacy students attended a 4-hour module on the role of health professionals in smoking cessation based on the rx for change training program. Two years after the first introduction of the module, a questionnaire on preparedness and smoking status was filled in by 64 pharmacy students who had attended the module and 243 students from other health sciences that had not been exposed to the module. Preparedness scores for the smoking cessation role for pharmacy students were significantly higher [mean = 19.5, n = 63] for the nonsmoking pharmacy students compared to other nonsmoking students in medicine [mean = 16.2, n = 149], dentistry [mean = 16.1, n = 40] and physical therapy [mean = 14.9, n = 16] [p = 0.009]. The smoking prevalence was 3% among all females and 31% among all males. Smoking students were significantly less likely [p = 0.031] to agree that it is their professional responsibility to help patients quit smoking. Significant and long-lasting differences in students' perception of preparedness for the smoking cessation role based on exposure to a short teaching module were demonstrated. Furthermore, our results support previous findings that smoking compromises attitude towards helping smokers to quit