| Summary: | Thesis (Family Medicine)) -- University of Limpopo, 2010. === Background
In the Vanga Health Zone, diabetic patients have idea that diabetes is due to
witchcraft, which idea can interfere with the prevention and management of their
disease. The purpose of this study was to determine the profile of patients diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Vanga Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo (DR
Congo).
Methods
A cross-sectional study was designed with use of a questionnaire to a systematic
sample of type 2 diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic of Vanga hospital for at
least six months and resident at Vanga health zone.
Results
Only 2.1 % of the participants believe in a scientific cause for diabetes; 53.5 % of
them do not think that their disease is due to the fact that they crossed over a path
where some ritual was performed and, 89.2 % of the participants believe that God
deserted the person who suffered from diabetes and expect that prayer will rectify the
disease. The majority of participants (65.6 %) had poor glycaemic control. Correlation
analysis has shown that glycaemia level was not significantly associated with
sociodemographic characteristics or health belief factors.
Conclusion
The majority of patients at the Vanga diabetic clinic have a greater need for
management strategies to improve their glycaemic control.
Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, health beliefs, knowledge, sub-Saharan Africa,
rural
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