Compliance behavior of type II diabetic patients attending the specialized center of endocrinology and diabetes in Baghdad

Diabetes mellitus [DM] is a chronic illness that requires continuous medical care to prevent acute and long-term complications. It is an emerging clinical and public health problem. It has been reported that 10.4% of the Iraqi population has been diagnosed as having diabetes. Non-compliance with anti-diabetic drugs and diet are the central issues in patient's management, as it reduces the efficacy of treatment. It also adds considerably to the long term complications of the disease. The aim of this study was to find out the compliance of diabetic patients attending the Specialized Center for Endocrinology and Diabetes [SCED] in Baghdad and assess any association between the compliance and different clinico-epidemiological variables of the patients. A cross-sectional design and a convenient sample was used in conducting this study for the period from the 1[st] October 2006 to the 31[st] July 2007. Three-hundred forty diabetic patients [type II DM] attended the SCED were studied [who had registered in the Center at least one year earlier]. A structured questionnaire was used to collect information from the patients and their files. Modified criteria and scale was used to determine the patient's compliance and its association with different variables. The results of this study revealed that there were only 22 out of 340 [6.47%] patients with excellent compliance, 62 [18.24%] patients with good compliance and 256 [75.29%] patients with fair and poor compliance. There was a statistically significant association of compliance with age, gender, marital status, number of children, level of education, body mass index, smoking, duration of the disease, and the presence of complications. There was no significant association of compliance with occupation and owning a house. The study concluded that most of the diabetic patients [75.29%] had fair and poor compliance which is a high and alarming proportion that may lead to more complications among our patients and hence more burdens on the health system