Audit of Diabetes Knowledge among Adults with Diabetes in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso): A Cross-Sectional Study Prior to Intervention Strategy

Several studies have shown the importance of therapeutic education in the management of diabetes. Its implementation requires a prior assessment of the level of patients’ knowledge. The objective of this study was to assess the level of diabetics’ knowledge about their disease. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted between 2013 and 2015; consenting diabetics, followed for at least one year in medicine department of Souro Sanou Hospital, have been surveyed. The data were collected using a 51-item questionnaire, adapted from “Audit of Diabetes Knowledge” and administered by an interviewer. The level of knowledge was satisfactory/good if at least 80% of the set items or a topic were known. Results: A total of 268 diabetics were surveyed. Their mean age was 54.3 ± 1.4 years and the sex ratio 0.8. The majority (80.9%) lived in urban areas and half (50.4%) were uneducated. Type 2 diabetics accounted for 93.3% of the population; the average seniority was 6.0 ± 0.7 years. The level of knowledge was generally insufficient, with an average total score of 25.4 ± 1.0/51. The topics which were not well mastered related to diet (0.8%), glycated haemoglobin (4.5%), and signs of hypoglycemia (7.8%). The main relatively well-known topics related to the effect of physical exercise on glycemia = 37.7%, the effect of food on glycemia = 36.9% and glycemia target = 32.8%. Conclusion: This study revealed a lack of knowledge from diabetic patients who are followed in the medicine department of the Teaching Hospital Souro SANON (CHUSS). The implementation of a therapeutic education program for diabetics is necessary and urgent.