Diabetes knowledge and self-care activities among tuberculosis patients with diabetes in Malaysia

Good glycaemic control is known to have an effect on TB treatment success. This study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile, diabetes knowledge and diabetes self-care activities among diabetes patients being treated for TB disease and examine how does their diabetes self-care activities related to blood glucose control. A cross-sectional study involving 97 TB patients with diabetes undergoing treatment of TB in the 27 public TB treatment centres in Kelantan, Malaysia was conducted from 1st May 2017 to 30th June 2017. Diabetes knowledge and self-care activities were assessed using questionnaires. The mean diabetes knowledge and diabetes self-care score were low, 6.89 ± 1.22 and 30.47 ± 3.45, respectively. Diabetes self-care activities score had significant relationship with HbA1c level (β = −0.06, p-value = 0.002). The results demonstrated an inadequate diabetes knowledge and self-care activities and a connection between low diabetes self-care activities and poor glycaemic control.