Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Adolescents in Delhi regarding Diabetes and Hypertension

Background: Adolescents have become quite vulnerable to various non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes mellitus and hypertension, especially due to the tremendous changes in their lifestyle over the last few decades. Recent statistics indicate rising prevalence of these lifestyle diseases in developed as well as developing nations along with an earlier onset, with younger populations being at increased risk. As health behavior may be influenced by the level of awareness about diabetes and hypertension, a cross sectional study was designed to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of adolescents residing in Delhi regarding diabetes and hypertension. Methodology: One thousand and five adolescents residing in urban neighborhoods of central Delhi were recruited for the study from January to December 2013 using interviewer administered questionnaires designed to elicit socio-demographic information and knowledge, attitude and practice of these adolescents towards diabetes and hypertension. Data analysis was carried out using SPSS version 16. Results: Majority of subjects were not aware or gave wrong answer when asked what was diabetes (85.6%) and hypertension (84.6%). Almost half of the subjects agreed that diabetes and hypertension were serious illnesses (49.5% and 49.9%). 38.1% and 37.3% adolescents agreed that effective management is possible for diabetes and hypertension respectively. Regular exercise and balanced dietary pattern were followed by only 27.1% and 20.6% of subjects. Knowledge of diabetes and hypertension was significantly higher among adolescents with higher level of education. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that adolescents in Delhi have poor knowledge of diabetes and hypertension, and only a minority of subjects practice healthy lifestyle habits like regular exercise and balanced diet. In addition, education appears to be a major determinant of level of knowledge and health behavior among the study participants. We recommend the establishment and sustenance of institutional framework and policy guidelines that will enhance adequate and urgent dissemination of information about diabetes and hypertension to all adolescents in India.