title: Determinants of misconceptions about diabetes among Saudi diabetic patients attending diabetes clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the determinants of misconceptions about diabetes in patients registered with a diabetes clinic at a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional survey was carried out at a diabetes clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Eastern Saudi Arabia, from January to December 2012. A total of 200 diabetic patients were interviewed using a questionnaire comprising 36 popular misconceptions. The total misconception score was calculated and categorized into low (0-12), moderate (13-24) and high (25-36) scores. The association of misconception score with various potential determinants was calculated using Chi-square test. Step-wise logistic regression was applied to the variables showing significant association with the misconception score in order to identify the determinants of misconceptions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age was 39.62 ± 16.7 and 112 (56%) subjects were females. Type 1 diabetics were 78 (39%), while 122 (61%) had Type 2 diabetes. Insulin was being used by 105 (52.5%), 124 (62%) were self-monitoring blood glucose and 112 (56%) were using diet control. Formal education on diabetes awareness had been received by 167 (83.5%) before the interview. The mean misconception score was 10.29 ± 4.92 with 115 (57.5%) subjects had low misconception scores (<12/36). On the Chi-square test, female gender, rural area of residence, little or no education, <5 or >15 years since diagnosis, no self-monitoring, no dietary control and no diabetes education were all significantly (P < 0.05) associated with higher misconception scores. Step-wise logistic regression suggested that diabetes education, gender, education and time since diagnosis were significant (P < 0.05) predictors of misconception scores.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The strongest determinants of misconceptions about diabetes in our study population were female gender, rural area of residence, illiteracy or little education, <5 or >15 years since diagnosis, no self-monitoring, no diet control and no education about diabetes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, King Fahad University Hospital, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alsunni
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, King Fahad University Hospital, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Waleed I
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Albaker
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, King Fahad University Hospital, College of Medicine, University of Dammam, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badar
keywords: Diabetes; Saudi Arabia; determinants; misconceptions; myths