KNOWLEDGE LEVEL OF DIABETIC PATIENTS AND CARE PROVIDERS ON DIABETES AND TUBERCULOSIS CONDITIONS IN TAMALE METROPOLIS IN NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a global public health concern, mainly affecting poor and vulnerable populations especially in South Saharan Africa. A phenomenon that has shifted attention towards risk factors that influence TB outcomes and one of such factors is diabetes. Diabetes " is increasing continuously in Northern Region as it accounted for more than 2,000 cases in 2010 and increased to 3, 000 cases in 2012 as Out Patient Diagnosis. The main objective of this study was to determine the knowledge levels of diabetic patients and care providers on diabetes, TB, and the co-morbidity of the two diseases in Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted by using both qualitative and quantitative method of data collection. The Convenient sampling method was used to sample diabetic patients while purposive sampling method was used to sample care providers. Quota '" sampling method was used to determine the unit of samples to be collected from each sampling site. A sample frame of 355 diabetic patients between the ages of 10 and above, registered in the diabetic clinics were used with a sample size of 187 diabetic patients and 30 care providers interviewed using structured questionnaires. Additionally, folders of diabetic • patients were examined to assess results of TB test. The quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS (Version 16) and MS excel (2007). The results showed that the prevalence of TB among diabetic patients ranges between 1.07% to 2.7% per the 187 populations, 43% of diabetic patients and 73% of care providers do not know that diabetes is independent risk factors for TB, and more than 80% of diabetic patients and 68% of care providers did not know that diabetes and TB co-exist. The study revealed that the knowledge levels on diabetes, TB and the co-morbidity of the two diseases are not good among care providers and i .,_ diabetic patients. Finally the research recommended the need for the Ministry of Health to educate care providers and diabetic patients on the co-morbidity of diabetes and TB diseases.