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Knowledge and Perception of 
Diabetes and Available Services 
among Diabetic Patients in the 
State of Qatar 

 
Al-Anoud Al-Thani1, Aiman 
Farghaly1, Hammad Akram1, 
ShamsEldin Khalifa1, Benjamin 
Vinodson1, Alma Loares1, Abdul-
Badi Abou-Samra2 
 
 

1Ministry of Public Health, State of Qatar; 
2Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical 
Corporation, State of Qatar  
 

 
Vol. 8, No. 1 (2019)   |   ISSN 2166-7403 (online)  
DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2019.333 |   http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

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Central Asian Journal of Global Health 
Volume 8, No. 1 (2019) |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online) | DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2019.333|http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 
 

Abstract 

Introduction: Diabetes is a major public health concern in Qatar. This study examined diabetes knowledge and perception of 
available services for diabetes control among diabetic patients in Qatar. 
Methods: Data from 300 diabetic patients were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire 
between February and May 2015 at Hamad Medical Corporation healthcare facilities in Qatar. Survey responses were represented 
as frequencies, and Chi-square tests were used to compare proportions across gender. A p-value of 0.05 was considered statistically 
significant. 
Results: 31% of patients had Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) (females 36.6%, males 26.5%) and 54% had Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) (males 
56.6%, females 50%). Knowledge about diabetes types did not differ by sex (P=0.16). 32.3% of patients were treated for diabetes-
related complications including: high cholesterol (39.2%), vision problems (33.1%), hypertension (30.0%), and foot problems (25.1 
%). Most patients were diagnosed at primary care clinics (41.7%). During visits, 78.3% of patients reported that they were fully 
advised about different diabetes tests. 57.0% of patients had ≥4 visits for diabetes checkups in the past 12 months. 66.7% of patients 
reported that they were confident or very confident in managing their diabetes as a result of their healthcare visits in the past year. 
The majority of patients reported receiving diabetes-related guidance from physicians (89.7%).  
Conclusions: Study participants had variable knowledge of diabetes, its complications and risk factors, and services available to 
diabetics. More comprehensive education and awareness about diabetes is recommended for both patients and family members. At 
the provider level, further improvement in patient counseling and promotion of available services can be beneficial. 

Keywords: Diabetes, Diabetes Knowledge, Diabetes Health Services, Diabetic Patient Survey, Qatar 

Knowledge and Perception of 
Diabetes and Available Services 
among Diabetic Patients in the State 
of Qatar 

 
Al-Anoud Al-Thani1, Aiman Farghaly1, 
Hammad Akram1, ShamsEldin 
Khalifa1, Benjamin Vinodson1, Alma 
Loares1, Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra2 
 
 

1Ministry of Public Health, State of Qatar; 
2Department of Medicine, Hamad Medical 
Corporation, State of Qatar 

Research 

Introduction 

 Morbidity and mortality associated with 
chronic diseases are growing in Qatar. Diabetes is one of 
the major public health problems in Qatar, which requires 
attention of policy makers, clinicians, and public health 
officials. Risk factors associated with diabetes, such 
obesity and sedentary lifestyle, are common in Qatar.1, 2 
As evident from a national population-based survey 
conducted in 2012, the prevalence of diabetes among 
Qatari nationals was 16.7%, which is significantly higher 
compared to 11.6% reported in a 2006 survey.3,4 Recent 
studies also indicate that the diabetes prevalence is 
associated with social and behavioral characteristics of 
the population in Qatar, including obesity, low 
educational status, marital status (ever or currently 
married), older age, and a family history of diabetes.3,5 

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 
 

Central Asian Journal of Global Health 
Volume 8, No. 1 (2019) |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online) | DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2019.333|http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 
 

Characteristics n (%) 

Age   
16-24 years 20 (6.7) 

25-34 years 72 (24.0) 

35-54 years 123 (41.0) 

55-64 years 58 (19.3) 

65 years and above  27 (9.0) 

Gender   

Male 166 (55.3) 

Female 134 (44.7) 

Nationality group  

Qatari 88 (29.3) 

Arab Expatriates 110 (36.7) 

Asian 92 (30.7) 

Caucasian 10 (3.3) 

Marital status   

Single 29 (9.7) 

Married with children 240 (80.0) 

Married without children 18 (6.0) 

Widowed/ divorced 13 (4.3) 

Total 300 

Table 1.  Demographic characteristics of the sample

The high burden of diabetes and related risk factors 
inspired the development and implementation of the 
Qatar National Health Strategy (NHS) aimed at 
preventing, monitoring, and educating patients and the 
general public about diabetes. 

Diabetes was recognized as one of NHS’s high-
priority diseases for preventive healthcare.6  An NHS 
report revealed that in 2015, chronic diseases such as 
heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, were responsible for 
70% of the mortality in Qatar, with 9% of total mortality 
in Qatar attributed to diabetes.6 The NHS target is to 
reduce overall cause-specific mortality due to the 
preventable diseases to 5%, and preventable hospital 
admissions (that can be addressed in primary care setting, 

such as diabetes-associated health issues) to 15%.6 
Through the National Diabetes Strategy (NDS), the 
diabetes initiative aimed to decrease the incidence and 
complications of diabetes by raising public awareness 
through adoption of multipronged health promotion 
approaches.7  

In 2015, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) 
of Qatar, in collaboration with YouGov (an international 
market research organization), carried out a 
comprehensive research study examining the burden of 
diabetes, availability of services for diabetes 
management, public perception of diabetes, knowledge 
of diabetes by diabetic patients and the general 
population, and diabetes-related health system access in 

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 
 

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Volume 8, No. 1 (2019) |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online) | DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2019.333|http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 
 

 Total, n (%) Male, n (%) Female, n (%) P value 
Diabetes type (A1)     

T1D 93 (31.0) 44 (26.5) 49 (36.6) 
0.16 T2DM 161 (53.7) 94 (56.6) 67 (50.0) 

Others/ unspecified 46 (15.3) 28 (16.9) 18 (13.4) 
Duration of diabetes (A2)     

Months [Median(IQR)] 60 (24, 144) 61 (24, 132) 60 (24, 156) 0.70* 
Treated with complications (A1c)     

Yes 97 (32.3) 58 (34.9) 39 (29.1) 
0.28 

No 203 (67.7) 108 (65.1) 95 (70.9) 
Location of diagnosis (A3)     

Screening bus 6 (2.0) 3 (1.8) 3 (2.2) 

<0.001ϯ 

Primary care 125 (41.7) 77 (46.4) 48 (35.8) 
Diabetes clinic 39 (13.0) 22 (13.3) 17 (12.7) 
Emergency room 51 (17.0) 31 (18.7) 20 (14.9) 
Women’s hospital 23 (7.7) - 23 (17.2) 
Professional test following a self-test 38 (12.7) 22 (13.3) 16 (11.9) 
Other  18 (6.0) 11 (6.5) 7 (5.2) 

Level of information at first time of diagnosis 
(A5)     

Too little information 113 (37.7) 67 (40.4) 46 (34.3) 

0.45 
Received right amount of information 133 (44.3) 72 (43.4) 61 (45.5) 
Received too much information 32 (10.7) 14 (8.4) 18 (13.4) 
Don’t know/ can’t remember 22 (7.3) 13 (7.8) 9 (6.7) 

Brochures on diabetes at time of diagnosis (A6)     
Yes 148 (49.3) 74 (44.6) 74 (55.2) 

0.07 No 146 (48.7) 90 (54.2) 56 (41.8) 
Don’t know  6 (2.0) 2 (1.2) 4 (3.0) 

Satisfied with brochures (A7)     
Extremely dissatisfied  3 (2.1) 1 (1.4) 2 (2.7) 

0.11 
Dissatisfied  - - - 
Neither satisfied/ dissatisfied  11 (7.4) 6 (8.1) 5 (6.8) 
Satisfied 94 (63.5) 53 (71.6) 41 (55.4) 
Extremely satisfied 40 (27.0) 14 (18.9) 26 (35.1) 

Fully advised on all of diabetes tests (A9)     
Yes 235 (78.3) 125 (75.3) 110 (82.1) 

0.009* No 46 (15.3) 34 (20.5) 12 (9.0) 
Don’t know/ can’t remember  19 (6.3) 7 (4.2) 12 (9.0) 

Total 300 166 134  
*Mann Whitney test; ϯChi-squared test  

Table 2. Sample characteristics by diabetes types, duration, and diagnosis associated factors 

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Figure 1. Percentage of treated complications among diabetic patients 

the State of Qatar. The aim of this collaborative project 
was to improve general public awareness and education 
on behavioral and lifestyle choices for diabetes 
prevention. Our present study describes the results from 
a diabetic patient-based survey and examines findings 
from patients who sought medical care at local hospitals 
and healthcare facilities in Qatar. We intend to present 
demographic data on diabetic patients, participant 
knowledge of diabetes-related complications and risk 
factors, and participant perception on diabetes-related 
services in the State of Qatar.  

 

Methods 

This study was conducted at the major public 
hospitals and clinics of Hamad Medical Corporation 
(HMC) healthcare system, serving patients from all 

socioeconomic groups. HMC is the main public non-
profit health care provider offering about 90% of acute 
services in the State of Qatar. 8-10 Quality and accessible 
healthcare can be accessed using a Health Card system at 
HMC, which provides subsidized and/or free health 
services to citizens and residents.9,10 For this study, 
participants were recruited from the adult and pediatric 
diabetes clinics, women’s clinics, renal centers, and 
podiatry clinics. Qatar residents (Qatari and Non-Qatari 
nationals) of both sexes who were 16 years or older with 
diabetes were included in the study. Individuals who 
were under 16 years of age, did not have diabetes, and 
non-residents of Qatar (e.g. visitors), were excluded. 
Patients were approached in the waiting areas or walk-in 
rooms of these healthcare facilities. Using a purposive 
sampling approach, the trained research personnel 
carried out the surveys during working hours of these 
health facilities until the study reached the target sample 

39%

45%

31%

46%

35% 35%33%

19%

54%

33%

41%

20%

30%
34%

23%

33%

19%

45%

25%
21%

31% 31%

24%

15%

8% 9% 8%
5%

14%

5%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Overall Male Female Qatari Arab Expat Asian Expat

Pe
rc

en
t 

Gender and Nationality 
* The percentages do not add up to 100% since some patients reported multiple complications

Percentage of Treated Complications* among Diabetic Patients 
by Sex & Nationality

High Cholesterol Vision  Problems High Blood Pressure Foot Problems Kidney Problems

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of its D-Scribe Digital Publishing Program and is cosponsored by the University of Pittsburgh Press. 
 

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Volume 8, No. 1 (2019) |  ISSN 2166-7403 (online) | DOI 10.5195/cajgh.2019.333|http://cajgh.pitt.edu 

 
 

 Total, n (%) Male, n (%) Female, n (%) P value* 
Diabetes follow up visits in the past 12 months  

Once 26 (8.7) 16 (9.6) 10 (7.5) 

0.79 Twice  39 (13.0) 20 (12.1) 19 (14.2) 
Three times 42 (14.0) 23 (13.9) 19 (14.2) 
Four times or more 171 (57.0) 97 (58.4) 74 (55.2) 

Received advice and guidance in relation to diabetes  
Physician 269 (89.7) 153 (92.2) 116 (86.6)  
Nurse  5 (1.7) 1 (0.60) 4 (2.9)  
Support groups  2 (0.70) 1 (0.60) 1 (0.90)  
Friends  2 (0.70) 2 (1.2) -  
Family  9 (3.0) 2 (1.2) 7 (5.2)  
Dietician 6 (2.0) 3 (1.8) 3 (2.2)  
Personal trainer 2 (0.70) 2 (1.2) -  
Others 3 (1.0) - 3 (2.2)  
Nobody 2 (0.70) 2 (1.2) -  

Value of advice and support provided by nurse  
Yes 208 (69.3) 106 (63.9) 102 (76.1) 0.01 No  57 (19.0) 33 (19.9) 24 (17.9) 

Worked with the health professionals to set goals about the best way to manage diabetes  
Yes, completely each time I visit them 67 (22.3) 32 (19.3) 35 (26.1) 

0.09 Yes, to some extent-sometimes at visit 101 (33.7) 67 (40.4) 34 (25.4) 
No, but I would have liked to  77 (25.7) 38 (22.9) 39 (29.1) 

Received advice to change diet that could help manage diabetes 
Yes, definitely 103 (34.3) 57 (34.3) 46 (34.3) 

0.85 Yes, to some extent but not enough 82 (27.3) 47 (28.3) 35 (26.1) 
No, but I would have liked help/advice 56 (18.7) 33 (19.9) 23 (17.2) 

Received advice on physical activity from clinic staff  
Yes, definitely 128 (42.7) 79 (47.6) 49 (36.6) 

0.001 Yes, to some extent but not enough 63 (21.0) 38 (22.9) 25 (18.7) 
No, but I would have liked help/advice 42 (14.0) 27 (16.3) 15 (11.2) 

Thinking back to your last visit, were you given a copy of your diabetes plan?  
Yes 172 (57.3) 103 (62.1) 69 (51.5) 0.11 No 119 (39.7) 60 (36.1) 59 (44.0) 

Diabetes plan includes any of the following:  
Your next appointment time and place 164 (95.3) 100 (97.1) 64 (92.8)  
Name of contact person 71 (41.3) 40 (38.8) 31 (44.9)  
Info. on managing diabetes between appointment 56 (32.6) 33 (32.0) 23 (33.3)  
Personal goal and targets about diabetes 43 (25.0) 31 (30.1) 12 (17.4)  
Advice on your diet and what foods to eat 67 (38.9) 41 (39.8) 26 (37.7)  
Advice on physical activity 51 (29.6) 34 (33.0) 17 (24.6)  
Your results of the diabetes tests 92 (53.5) 50 (48.5) 42 (60.9)  
A plan for medicines & lifestyle 91 (52.9) 58 (56.3) 33 (47.8)  
Your health information & diabetes status 45 (26.7) 18 (17.5) 27 (39.1)  

Confidence in managing diabetes due to the health check-up in past 12 months  
Very confident  66 (22.0) 42 (23.5) 27 (20.2) 0.006 Confident 134 (44.7) 84 (50.6) 50 (37.3) 

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Not sure 77 (25.7) 35 (21.1) 42 (31.3) 
Fairly confident 20 (6.7) 5 (3.0) 15 (11.2) 

Sometimes, a health professional will use complex medical terms and words that are not always understood by patients. 
Has this ever happened to you?  

Yes 47 (15.7) 16 (9.6) 31 (23.1) 
0.002 No 247 (82.3) 148 (89.2) 99 (73.9) 

Don’t know/ can’t remember 6 (2.0) 2 (1.2) 4 (3.0) 
In the last 12 months, have you undergone any of the following diabetes related tests? (Yes/No) 

Weight/ Body Mass Index (BMI) 238 (79.3) 128 (77.1) 110 (82.1)  
Blood Pressure 234 (78.0) 135 (81.3) 99 (73.9)  
Cholesterol 208 (69.3) 129 (77.7) 79 (59.0)  
HbA1c (long term blood glucose test) 204 (68.0) 128 (77.1) 76 (56.7)  
Blood test for kidney function 158 (52.7) 92 (55.4) 66 (49.3)  
Urine test 220 (73.3) 126 (75.9) 94 (70.1)  
Foot examination 140 (46.7) 71 (42.8) 69 (51.5)  
Eye screening  161 (53.7) 79 (47.6) 82 (61.2)  
Don’t know/ can’t remember 8 (2.7) 3 (1.8) 5 (3.7)  

Were the results of these tests fully explained to you? (B14) 
Yes, and I understood them clearly 181 (61.9) 87 (53.4) 94 (72.9) 

0.007 
Yes, But I did not really understand them 26 (8.9) 18 (11.0) 8 (6.2) 
No, I didn’t need them to be 41 (14.2) 30 (18.4) 11 (8.5) 
No, not at all 22 (7.5) 12 (7.4) 10 (7.8) 
Don’t know/ can’t remember 22 (7.5) 16 (9.8) 6 (4.7) 

*Chi-Square test 
Table 3. Follow up visits and treatment planning 

of 300 individuals. The 20-30 minute survey was carried 
out between February and May of 2015. A pre-tested and 
validated English and Arabic-translated semi-structured 
questionnaire was utilized to collect the data. Study 
participants were then categorized into Qataris, Arab 
expatriates, Asian expatriates, and Caucasian expatriates. 
No personal identifiers were collected for this survey. 
Sample selection was based on gender, age, and 
nationality representation as described elsewhere. 11 The 
age groups were corresponded to the approximate 2015 
Qatar census proportion. 11 

Survey questions were used to obtain patient 
data on the general demographic characteristics, 
knowledge about diabetes-related complications, risk 
factors and management, and degree of diabetes service 
level support received from health facilities, health 
providers, and other local diabetes support groups. 
Knowledge and perception of diabetes and diabetes-

related factors were measured using a 5-point Likert scale 
question style (nothing, very little, some, enough, and a 
lot). 

Ethical procedures were followed during the 
survey implementation and data handling procedures. 
Informed (verbal) consent was obtained before the 
survey. Patients were assured that the collected 
information would only be used for scientific purposes 
without sharing personal or identifiable information with 
third parties. Parental consent was obtained for 
respondents below 18 years of age. Supreme Council of 
Health, Doha, Qatar (now MOPH) provided ethical 
approval for this protocol.  

Participant characteristics, including 
demographics, diabetes diagnosis and management, and 
diabetes support were reported using frequency and 
percentages. Chi-squared tests or Fisher exact test (where 

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 Total, n (%) Male, n (%) Female, n (%) P value* 
Do you have a contact number for addressing concern about the diabetes 

Yes  76 (25.3) 36 (21.7) 40 (29.9) 

0.09 No 223 (74.4) 130 (78.3) 93 (69.4) 

Don’t know 1 (0.30) 0 (0.0) 1 (0.70) 
Which of the following do you feel you would be able to receive support from in relation to your diabetes?ϯ 

Doctor at local clinic  247 (82.3) 137 (82.5) 110 (82.1)  
Nurse at local clinic 98 (32.7) 48 (28.9) 50 (37.3)  
Specialist consultant at hospital 101 (33.7) 61 (36.7) 40 (29.8)  
Specialist nurse at hospital 30 (10.0) 19 (11.4) 11 (8.2)  
Counselor  31 (10.3) 13 (7.8) 18 (13.4)  
Telephone helpline 22 (7.3) 9 (5.4) 13 (9.7)  
Support group 18 (6.0) 11 (6.6) 7 (5.2)  
Coordinator  15 (5.0) 9 (5.4) 6 (4.5)  
Other people with diabetes (other than a support 
group) 

53 (17.7) 17 (10.2) 36 (26.9)  

Family friend 111 (37.0) 44 (26.5) 67 (50.0)  
Other  7 (2.3) 4 (2.4) 3 (2.2)  
None of these 5 (1.7) 4 (2.4) 1 (0.75)  

Since you have been diagnosed with diabetes, would you want to talk to other people who also have diabetes? 

Yes 193 (64.3) 110 (66.3) 83 (61.9) 
0.43 

No 107 (35.7) 56 (33.7) 51 (38.1) 
Have you been able to meet and talk to other people with diabetes? 

Yes 173 (57.7) 91 (54.8) 82 (61.2) 
0.26 

No 127 (42.3) 75 (45.2) 52 (38.8) 

Are you aware of any local or national diabetes support / patient advocacy groups? 

Yes, and I have contacted them 47 (15.7) 26 (15.7) 21 (15.7) 
0.72 Yes, but I have not contacted them 72 (24.0) 37 (22.3) 35 (26.1) 

No 181 (60.3) 103 (62.0) 78 (58.2) 

Would you be willing to participate in any future studies on diabetes in Qatar? 

Yes 169 (56.3) 98 (59.0) 71 (53.0) 
0.29 

No 131 (43.7) 68 (41.0) 63 (47.0) 
*Chi Square test;  
ϯMultiple responses 

    

Table 4. Local or Social Support on Diabetes in Qatar 

response frequency was less than 5) were performed to 
compare categorical variables by gender. Mann-Whitney 
test was used to compare duration of diabetes by gender. 
The threshold level of significance was set at p<0.05. 

Statistical analyses were performed using the SPSS 
Software version 22.0 (IBM Corporation, Chicago, IL, 
USA). 

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Results 

A slightly higher percentage of males (55.3%) 
participated in this study. The highest percentage of 
participants were in the age group of 35-54 years 
(41.0%), followed by 25-34 years (24.0%). Arab 
expatriates comprised 36.7% of the participants, 
followed by Asian expatriates (30.7%) and Qataris 
(29.3%). Most of the respondents were married with 
children (80%). Details about study participants are 
outlined in Table 1.  

Among overall sample, 31.0% of respondents 
reported having type 1 diabetes (T1D), 53.7% type 2 
diabetes (T2D) and 15.3% did not specify the type (Table 
2). Among men, 56.6% reported T2D and 26.5% T1D 
while among females 50.0% and 36.6% reported to have 
had T2D and T1D respectively (table 2). The proportion 
of respondents knowledgeable about their type of 
diabetes did not significantly differ by sex (P =0.16). 
About 32.3% of respondents who were treated for 
diabetes complications (single or multiple) reported 
having high cholesterol (39.2%), vision problems 
(33.1%), hypertension (30.0%), and foot problems 
(25.1%) (Figure 1). Most of the respondents were 
diagnosed with diabetes at primary care clinics (41.7%). 
44.3% reported that they received sufficient diabetes-
related information. About 78.3% of survey participants 
were fully advised regarding the different types of 
diabetes tests; a significantly higher proportion of 
females (82.1%) compared to males (75.3%) reported 
that they were fully advised (P=0.009). 

More than half of patients (57.0%) had four or 
more visits for their disease-related checkups in the past 
12 months. The majority of patients received diabetes-
related guidance from physicians (89.7%) (Table 3). 
Most of the patients (66.7%) reported that they were 
confident or very confident in managing their diabetes 
themselves as a result of their diabetes follow-up visits 
during the past 12 months. Responses regarding number 
of patients undergoing diabetes related tests ranged from 

46.7% (for foot examination) to BMI or body weight 
calculation (79.3%) (Table 3). 

Moreover, 82.3 % of participants reported that 
doctors at the clinics would be able to provide them with 
diabetes-related support (Table 4). 64.3% of participants 
expressed their interest in talking with other diabetes 
patients. 15.7% contacted diabetes support or advocacy 
groups, 24.0% despite knowing advocacy groups did not 
contact them, and 60.3% of patients were not aware of 
diabetes support or advocacy groups. 

It is important to note that more than half of the 
patients had no idea about the effect of drinking alcohol 
(58.0%) or smoking (53.3%) on diabetes. Furthermore, 
47.7 % had no (33.0%) or very little knowledge (14.7%) 
while 52.3% had some (23.3%), enough (17.0%) and a 
lot (12.0%) knowledge about the adverse effects of 
taking diabetes medications (Table 5).  

 

Discussion 

Diabetes is one of the top causes of death in the 
State of Qatar.12 Of the 300 patient-respondents, more 
than half were found to have T2D, with males having a 
slightly higher prevalence than females. A higher 
prevalence of T2D among males was also reported in 
other local and regional studies.13-22 Common identified 
complications were high blood cholesterol 
concentrations, hypertension, vision, and foot problems. 
Primary care clinics (42%) were identified as the primary 
place where patients were diagnosed with diabetes. The 
majority of respondents indicated that they have at least 
“some” or “enough” knowledge about most of the risk 
factors influencing diabetes (Table 5). Moreover, more 
than half indicated that they were informed “enough” or 
“a lot” about the importance of having regular visit with 
healthcare providers (65.3%). 

Qatar’s diabetes registry for 2014-2016 showed 
that out of 2000 registered patients, about 95% had T2D, 

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Nothing                   
n (%)  

Very little                 
n (%) 

Some                   
n (%) 

Enough                 
n (%) 

A lot                      
n (%) 

The effects of being ill: 
ex. Having flu 

89 (29.7)               50 (16.7)                  89 (29.7)             50 (16.7)                  22 (7.2)                       

Maintaining weight 51 (17)           49 (16.3)               76 (25.3)            854 (28.3)              39 (13.1)             

Blood glucose drops too 
low  

17 (5.7)                 65 (21.7)             95 (31.7)                 75 (25.0)                 48 (16.0)              

Regular check-ups with 
doctor/ nurse 

12 (4.0)              26 (8.7)                  66 (22.0)                  111 (37.0)               85 (28.3)               

Cholesterol levels 60 (20.0)              52 (17.3)              81 (27.0)              84 (28.0)               23 (7.7)                   

Blood pressure 59 (19.7)             53 (17.7)              89 (29.7)                74 (24.7)               25 (8.3)                       

Checking and looking 
after eyes 

54 (18.0)              38 (12.7)             86 (28.7)              58 (19.3)              64 (21.3)                 

Checking and looking 
after feet 

64 (21.3)             56 (18.7)            79 (26.3)                     66 (22.0)               35 (11.7)                 

Drinking alcohol 174 (58.0)               18 (6.0)              29 (9.7)                        34 (11.3)                 45 (15.0)                   

Smoking  160 (53.3)                12 (4.0)               53 (17.7)                33 (11.0)             42 (14.0)                   

Stress 31 (10.3)            68 (22.7)            108 (36.0)                  56 (18.7)                  37 (12.3)                    

Tiredness 28 (9.3)             58 (19.3)               110 (36.7)               71 (23.7)                    33 (11.0)                     

Adverse effects taking 
medication 

99 (33.0)           44 (14.7)              70 (23.3)                51 (17.0)                  36 (12.0)               

Severe complications left 
untreated 

24 (8.0)                  46 (15.3)           93 (31.1)             67 (22.3)             70 (23.3)                   

Table 5. Likert Scale Responses “To what extent do you understand the following factors in relation to your diabetes?” 

with the remaining having T1D, pre-diabetes and 
secondary diabetes respectively, indicating a high 
prevalence of T2D among diabetic patients.23 By 2050, 
both the prevalence and incidence of T2D are forecasted 
to increase by at least 43% and 147%, respectively in 
Qatar.24 The rise in T2D prevalence is projected to 
increase national diabetes related health expenditure 
from 20% currently to 32% by 2050.24 

Our results showed a relatively higher than 
expected proportion of T1D (31.0%) among diabetic 
patients surveyed for Qatar. This is likely due to the fact 
that the survey was carried out at a tertiary hospital 
setting. Another possible explanation of the high 

percentage of T1D among participants could be the high 
prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among adults and 
children in Qatar reported in previous studies.25-27 These 
studies suggested a possible relationship between vitamin 
D deficiency and T1D; however, more studies are needed 
to explore this relationship in Qatar.26,27  

Almost one-third of the patients surveyed were 
receiving treatment for diabetes-related complications. 
According to the National Health and Nutrition 
Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999–2004 (USA), the 
prevalence of diabetes complications among diabetics in 
the US were mainly due to kidney disease (27.8%), foot 
problems, (22.9%), and retinopathy (18.9%).28 In a Saudi 

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review article investigating diabetes-related 
complications, the frequency of neuropathy and foot 
disease combined were alarmingly high at 82.0%, and the 
prevalence of retinopathy was 31%,  and the prevalence 
of kidney disease requiring dialysis was between 30% to 
45%.29,30 In comparison to NHANES data, only 8% of 
patients were receiving treatment for kidney issues, 
25.1% for foot problems, and 33.1% for vision problems 
in our sample.28 

We found that most of the patients received care 
at primary healthcare clinics and emergency rooms, and 
about half reported that they received adequate 
information about their diagnoses. Almost all the patients 
who received brochures during their visits were happy 
about them. Our survey findings provided valuable 
information because patient satisfaction in most 
healthcare services predicts the quality of care and 
management given by health providers.31   

We found that most patients reported that they 
were confident in managing their disease after 12 months 
of checkups. In terms of patient-provider relationship, the 
majority of patients received guidance from their doctors 
and they were fairly able to work with healthcare 
professionals to set goals on the best ways to manage 
their diabetes. As expected, most patients cited doctors as 
their primary source of knowledge about their disease.32 

The patient-provider relationship is important 
since it is evident that lack or insufficient communication 
between provider and patient with diabetes could lead to 
poor compliance.33, 34 Furthermore, the patients who less 
frequently receive information about diabetes are also 
less likely to manage their disease themselves.35  In our 
study, the participants understood the importance of 
relationships with healthcare providers, family members 
and other diabetics for support, and advocacy groups. In 
another study, the patient-provider collaboration, 
positive attitude, social support, and participation in 
group educational activities were considered as the 
essential components of effective diabetes self-
management strategy.36     

In general, a greater proportion of respondents 
had at least some understanding of their diagnosis and 
disease, such as the significance of their blood glucose 
levels, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and disease 
management (maintaining weight, having regular check-
ups, checking their feet, and other preventative 
behaviors). On the other hand, more than half had no or 
very little understanding of specific diabetes-related 
factors such as alcohol use, smoking, and medication side 
effects. Although our findings might not be comparable 
due to differences in the survey used, a study conducted 
in the UAE showed low levels of overall awareness on 
diabetes, while we found a higher degree of diabetes 
knowledge and awareness among our study 
participants.32  

This study examined perception and knowledge 
of services, risk factors, symptoms and certain disease 
risk factors among diabetic patients. Certain diabetes-
related knowledge areas e.g. smoking, alcohol use, and 
adverse effects of medicines, require further education 
and counseling. Patients were found to be generally 
satisfied regarding the level of information and support 
they received from the healthcare system. It would be 
beneficial to further expand diabetes-related programs in 
Qatar by taking innovative approaches, such as diabetes 
hotline numbers, using social media, and health 
campaigns and events to address disease-related 
concerns. This study was an initial attempt to understand 
the patient perspective on diabetes and services provided 
to them. The findings from this study will be beneficial 
in garnering support from key stakeholders and 
policymakers for diabetes programs in Qatar and will 
help in further strengthening ongoing projects targeting 
the country’s diabetes epidemic. Application of 
appropriate surveillance approaches including that can 
also be used for other conditions are essential in studying 
diabetes and diabetes-related factors, especially factors 
that have already been identified in the country.2,5,37-45 

 

 

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Acknowledgements 

We thank the survey participants, Hamad 
Medical Corporation, Qatar and Primary Health Care 
Corporation for their support in this project.  

 

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Al- 

 

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https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-809318-4.00002-2

	Knowledge and Perception of Diabetes and Available Services among Diabetic Patients in the State of Qatar
	Abstract
	Keywords: Diabetes, Diabetes Knowledge, Diabetes Health Services, Diabetic Patient Survey, Qatar
	Knowledge and Perception of Diabetes and Available Services among Diabetic Patients in the State of Qatar
	Research

