title: Knowledge of hypoglycemia by primary health care centers registered diabetic patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the knowledge of diabetic patients about symptoms of Hypoglycemia, and the variables that may be associated with that knowledge.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study of 1039 diabetic subjects, registered in the urban and rural primary health care centers of Makkah. The tool of data collection was a structured questionnaire. The parameters of the study were lack of knowledge about hypoglycemia measured as knowledge of individual symptoms; and the proportions of patients with poor knowledge score.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The frequency of lack of knowledge of symptoms of hypoglycemia was around 50% of subjects. Two-third of subjects had a poor knowledge score. Main variables significantly associated with poor knowledge score were male gender (P < 0.001), low education (P < 0.0001), non-compliance with treatment (P < 0.02), and lack of knowledge about hypoglycemia (P < 0.00001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for health education of diabetic subjects about symptoms of hypoglycaemia, in order to deal with it in an effective way.
authors: Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. aelzubier@yahoo.com
authors: A G
authors: AG
authors: Elzubier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012529:Saudi Arabia