title: An assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) towards diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in a suburban town of Karachi.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) towards diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in the general population of Bin Qasim Town (BQ), Karachi.
  
  
  METHODS
  An observational, cross-sectional study was approved by Research Ethical Committee of Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital. It included every third household by stratified sampling in each Union Council of (BQ) Town, in the months of May to July 2013. The interview Questionnaire included 43 questions, of qualitative and quantitative aspects, which were awarded 56 scoring points. SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred ninety two adults one from each household were interviewed. Of the total respondents, 271 (39.2%) had diabetes. Lowest mean knowledge score (5.28 ± 6.09) was seen in illiterate respondents. Male's Mean Knowledge score (7.61 ± 6.600) was better than female's (5.46 ± 6.21) with P <0.001. Over all mean score of Attitudes towards diabetes was 5.43 ± 2.57. It was higher (6.62 ± 2.03) in diabetic respondents as compared with non-diabetic respondents (4.70 ± 2.59) with p < 0.000. In Practice module majority of the respondents (69.9%) did not exercise, 49% took high caloric snacks between meals and 87% ate outside home once a month, 56.8% diabetics visited ophthalmologist for routine eye examination; but only 9.2% asked for retinal examination.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lack of knowledge of diabetes was found in the surveyed community, more marked in females, illiterate and the individuals not having diabetes.
authors: Dr. Muhammad Saleh Memon, DO, FRCS (Eden), Director Projects, Isra Ophthalmic Research & Development Center.
authors: Muhammad Saleh
authors: MS
authors: Memon
authors: Sikander Ali Shaikh, M.A (Sociology), Project Manager, Department of Community Based Projects.
authors: Sikander Ali
authors: SA
authors: Shaikh
authors: Dr. Abdul Rashid Shaikh, MCPS, MS, Assistant Professor, Department of Ophthalmology.
authors: Abdul Rashid
authors: AR
authors: Shaikh
authors: Muhammad Faisal Fahim, M.Sc (Statistics), Statistician, Isra Ophthalmic Research & Development Center.
authors: Muhammad Faisal
authors: MF
authors: Fahim
authors: Dr. Seema N. Mumtaz, MBBS,M.Phill,MPH,MBA(Health), DCPS(HSCM), Chairperson, Community Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Al Tibri Medical College, Isra University Karachi Campus, Pakistan.
authors: Seema
authors: S
authors: N Mumtaz
authors: Mr. Nadeem Ahmed, M.A Econ, MES Environmental Studies, Consultant, Isra Ophthalmic Research & Development Center.
authors: Nadeem
authors: N
authors: Ahmed
keywords: Attitude and Practices (KAP); Diabetic Education Program (DEP); Diabetic retinopathy (DR); Knowledge