Awareness and proportion of diabetes mellitus among newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients at a tertiary care institution in Eastern India: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Introduction: The worldwide impact of tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) is significant, with these diseases
disproportionately affecting the most at-risk populations, including those living in poverty, malnourished individuals, and
the elderly. Methodology: A hospital-based cross sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care institution, with a total
sample of 194. Convenient sampling was used for sample collection. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used
to assess knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding Diabetes mellitus. All qualitative variables were represented in
proportions. Result: Among the newly diagnosed tuberculosis patients, 17% had diabetes mellitus. Diabetes mellitus is
due to a rise in blood sugar, which was reported by 87.6% of participants. Around half of the participants reported lack of
physical activity as both the cause and the risk factor for diabetes mellitus. Willingness to visit the government facility for
the treatment of DM was reported among 84%, while only 40.2% are willing to take drugs for DM for life. Conclusion: It
was found that 2 out of every 10 newly diagnosed patients had diabetes mellitus. The knowledge regarding the cause of
diabetes mellitus due to the increased blood sugar was there. However, there is a gap in the attitude and practice regarding
diabetes among all the newly diagnosed patients of tuberculosis. There is an urgent need for the proper implementation of
a collaborative framework for diagnosis, treatment, care, and control of tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus.