Biomedical Research

Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) and Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) in type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (DM) patients with regard to method of treatment and patients’ Body Mass Index (BMI), and to examine the factors that affect adherence to treatment.

Material and Method: The participants of this study were selected from amongst DM patients admitted between March 2016 and June 2016 to Family Medicine Clinic or Endocrinology Clinic of Eskisehir Osmangazi University Hospital. The study was conducted with 420 patients, who were asked to provide their sociodemographic data as well as information on duration of diabetes, type of treatment they received, and the presence of any other chronic diseases. The patients’ Glomerular Filtration Rates (GFR) and body mass indexes were calculated. The patients were asked whether they exercised, complied with dietary recommendations, smoked, and developed any complications. The study sought the relationship between metabolic values and level of motivation and knowledge measured by six-item Modified Morisky Scale. SPSS 21 was used for data analysis.

Findings: The distribution of 420 patients by gender was as follows: 167 men (39.8%) and 253 women (60.2%). The average age was 58.12 ± 9.91 years. The average duration of diabetes was 10.81 ± 7.49 years in patients. The level of knowledge was 11 times higher in patients that exercised than nonexercising patients, and 2.25 times higher in patients that had diabetes for ≥10 years than patients that had diabetes for ≤ 9 years. Furthermore, the level of motivation was 1.67 times higher in non-smoking patients than smoking patients, and 1.69 times higher in patients with upper secondary or higher degree than patients with primary school or lower degree.

Conclusion: Adherence to medication is questioned when target laboratory results are not achieved in DM treatment. Scales of adherence to treatment may play a guiding role in this process. Because of challenges in assessing medication adherence, it is advised to use several methods together.

Author(s): Ahmet Mamur, Ugur Bilge, Medine Nur Kebapci, Ilhami Unluoglu
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