Predictors of Good Glycemic Controls Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Two Primary Health Clinics, Kuala Selangor

Abstract@#Introduction: The objective of this study was to determine the factors and predictors of good glycaemic control among patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in two rural government health clinics in Kuala Selangor. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 200 patients selected through systematic random sampling from a list of T2DM patients in two government health clinics in Kuala Selangor. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire while glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) results were obtained from the patients’ blood results record at the clinic. HbA1c of 6.5 % and below was categorized as good glycaemic control. The factors studied were socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, level of education, occupation and household income), T2DM medical history (T2DM duration and type of treatment), diabetes knowledge, health literacy, adherence to treatment, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. Pearson’s chi square test was used to test for associations and multiple logistic regressions were used to determine the predictors. Results: The response rate was 86.9%. The proportion of good glycaemic control was 34.0%. Level of glycaemic control was significantly associated with duration of being diagnosed with T2DM (p=0.006) and type of treatment (p=0.009). The probability of having good glycaemic control was 2.5 times more likely among respondents diagnosed with T2DM for less than 10 years (AOR=2.458, 95% of CI=1.504-14.282, p=0.037). Conclusion: Shorter duration of being diagnosed with T2DM has been found to be a predictor of good glycaemic control in this study population, thus warranting stricter monitoring among patients who have been diagnosed for a longer period.

Leisure Time Physical Activities among Adult Attendees at a Primary Health Care Clinic

Objectives: This cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the leisure-time physical activities of adult attendees in a rural health clinic in July 2002. Methods: Simple random sampling method of the clinic register was used. Data was collected via a face-to-face interview using a pre-tested questionnaire. Results: A majority (73%) of these attendees performed leisure-time physical activity. The majority were between 20 to 29 years (p0.05), Kadazan, Iban and Orang Asli (p>0.05), had attained tertiary education (p0.05). They were also fee from chronic illnesses. The most common activities were walking, aerobic dancing and gardening. Physical and mental wellness, advice from doctor and support from family and friends were the reasons for performing these activities. The reasons for not performing leisure physical activity were (i) being too busy, (ii) already active at workplace, and (iii) being unwell. Conclusions: Sustained community interventions in the community couldd prove useful to encourage individuals to carry out leisure-time physical activities.