Diabetes Knowledge and Medication Adherence Among High-Risk Type 2 Diabetic Patients in a Rural Area in Vietnam: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide, especially in developing countries such as Vietnam; however, data on diabetes knowledge and medication adherence among Vietnamese high-risk T2DM patients, particularly those living in the rural areas, remains scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of diabetes knowledge and medication adherence, along with their relationship, among high-risk T2DM patients in a rural area of Vietnam. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Quang Thanh General Hospital, a tertiary care hospital in Nghe An Province, Vietnam, between May and July 2024. Diabetes knowledge and adherence were assessed using the Vietnamese versions of the Spoken Knowledge in Low Literacy Patients with Diabetes (SKILLD) and the General Medication Adherence Scale (GMAS), respectively. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between diabetes knowledge and medication adherence. A total of 230 high-risk, T2DM patients met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The mean age was 67.9 ± 6.6 years, while 43.9% were male. The mean SKILLD score was 36.7 ± 20.03, with 82.6% classified as having low diabetes knowledge. For medication adherence, the mean GMAS score was 30.4 ± 3.07, with 16.1% of patients classified as being non-adherent. Binary logistic regression showed that better knowledge significantly increased the likelihood of medication adherence (OR = 8.3, 95% CI: 1.1–64.8, p = 0.043). In conclusion, diabetes knowledge was low among Vietnamese high-risk T2DM patients. A strong relationship existed between high diabetes knowledge and better medication adherence.