RURAL/URBAN VARIATIONS IN DIABETES SELF-CARE IN A SAMPLE OF GHANAIAN ADULTS WITH TYPE II DIABETES: A STUDY IN THE EAST GONJA MUNICIPALITY

More recently, there has been a greater focus on nutrition and physical activity as key determinants of health. Available evidence suggests that the community of residence drives unhealthy diets and sedentary behaviour (e.g. increased physical inactivity); unhealthy diets and sedentary behaviour are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This single-site hospital based study assessed rural/urban variations in diabetes self-care practices in a sample of Ghanaian adults with type II diabetes. The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional design. Respondents were recruited from the Diabetes/Hypertension clinic of the East Gonja Municipal Hospital in Salaga, Ghana, through systematic sampling. Structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires were used to collect data for the study. The primary data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. One hundred and sixty-eight (168) type II diabetes patients participated in the study. More than half of them were residents of rural communities (50.6%). Overall, adherence to medication, diet, and physical activity were 51.8%, 41.8%, and 56.0%, respectively. Controlling for age, occupation, and monthly income, residents of urban communities were more likely to adhere to prescribed anti-diabetic medications compared to those in rural communities (AOR 3.70; 95% CI 1.02, 8.11). On the contrary, residence in a rural community was positively associated with adherence to dietary recommendations (AOR 4.21; 95% CI 1.73, 9.54). The current findings highlight the need for diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) programmes in the East Gonja Municipality to facilitate the knowledge sharing, decision making, and skills mastery for diabetes self-care.