Abstract:
Uncontrolled blood glucose levels in most diabetes patients result from poor
diabetes health literacy and are linked with significant mortality and morbidity. Diabetes patients
with poor diabetic health literacy may have inadequate glycemic control likely to experience
complications from the disease. However, insufficient studies support such a hypothesis in most
low-income countries. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to investigate the link between
diabetic health literacy and blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.
Methods: A health facility-based case-control study was carried out in Bishoftu town, involving
all individuals diagnosed with DM who began follow-up. Cases included diabetic patients with
uncontrolled blood glucose, while controls consisted of diabetic patients with controlled blood
glucose. The sample size was determined using Epi-Info, comprising 94 cases and 276 controls.
A structured, interview-administered questionnaire was utilized to gather data. The data analysis
was conducted using STATA version 17. Descriptive analysis was conducted using simple
frequencies and cross-tabulations to examine sociodemographic characteristics and other
independent variables. Bivariate data analysis checked the correlation between diabetic health
literacy and other independent variables against blood glucose level. Moreover, a multivariable
analysis using binary logistic regression was conducted to identify independent predictors of blood
glucose levels.