The relationship between family history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding type 2 diabetes mellitus among medical students

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a condition of increase in blood glucose levels, due to impaired synthesis, and/or secretion of insulin. Family history of DM is one of the non-modifiable risk factors for someone to suffering DM. Individual knowledge, attitude, and practice toward DM also affects a person to suffering DM. AIM: This study aims to determine the relationship between family history of Type 2 DM (T2DM) and knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding T2DM among medical students at the Universitas Sumatera Utara. METHODS: This study was an online questionnaire-based observational study. It was involved 370 medical students from batches of 2017, 2018, and 2019 at the Universitas Sumatera Utara during the period from April to October 2020. Data were collected using a questionnaire containing questions and statements regarding knowledge, attitude, and practice of respondents toward T2DM. The questionnaire also contains questions about respondents’ family history of T2DM. The relationship between family history of T2DM and knowledge, attitude, and practice toward T2DM among medical students in the Universitas Sumatera Utara was analyzed using the Chi-square test, with SPSS version 24. RESULTS: From the 370 Universitas Sumatera Utara medical students were being respondents in this study, it was shown that good and poor knowledge scores toward T2DM were 50.8% and 49.2%, respectively. The attitude scores were 53.5% and 46.5%, respectively. The practice scores were 47.8% and 52.2%, respectively. There were 197 students (53.2%) who have a family history of suffering from T2DM and 173 students (46.8%) did not have. The results of the analysis test between data showed that there was a significant relationship between a family history of T2DM with knowledge of T2DM (p = 0.002, RP = 1.921, 95% CI = 1.270–2.906), attitudes (p = 0.005, RP = 1.815, 95% CI = 1.200–2.745), and practice (p = 0.001, RP = 2.092, 95% CI = 1.380–3.173). CONCLUSION: In this study, it is shown that the medical students have good knowledge and attitudes toward T2DM but it is not in line with practice. A family history of T2DM is a factor that influences behavior, attitude, and practice toward T2DM in medical students at the Universitas Sumatera Utara.