Article from The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care: Diabetes Knowledge and Self-Care Practices Among Patients with Type w Diabetes Mellitus in Uvira, Kiliba, Sange, and Luvungi, South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo

By Liseli Mulala PhD, MPH RPh CDCES

I read the article “ Diabetes Knowledge and Self-Care Practices Among Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Uvira, Kiliba, Sange, and Luvungi, South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo” by Désiré M. Kindarara, PhD, MSN, BSc, BC-ADM , and Juslin Bamu Murondere, MA in Vol 51 of The Science of Diabetes Self Management and Care. I appreciated that this was a study conducted in Sub Saharan African by Scientists from the region.

This study was focused not just on knowledge of individuals about Diabetes but also if that knowledge was being put into practice by asking about Diabetes Selfcare activities. The use of the social ecological model as a framework to analyze the data and outcomes on an intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, community and policy level was a novel approach that considers multiple Social Determinants of Health.

The results showed that marriage, being on insulin and higher education level seemed to have the biggest impact on knowledge but only being married had an influence on practice of diabetes selfcare activities. Though 57.4% of participants had high levels of knowledge about diabetes only 45.4% had good diabetes self-care practices. To bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, the researchers mention social support from families as well as leaders in mosques, churches, synagogues and diabetes associations.

This article recommends improving DM awareness and practice through education, and support campaigns for patients as well as health care professionals, so providers understand their role in Diabetes management. They recommend outreach through educational campaigns in print advertising, television, radio, and newspapers.  I highly recommend this article and hope these suggestions are heeded not just in the Democratic Republic of Congo or Sub-Saharan African but in other parts of Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia and Oceania.

Go to the article: https://journals.sagepub.com/share/FFNMJ26SKQCM77HBNFEK?target=10.1177/26350106251323611 

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