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Table 2.
Effect of socio-demographic variables on diabetes control ability (DES-SF), on knowledge
about the disease (DKT) and on QoL (EQ-5D)
DES-SF
DKT
EQ-5D
Variable
Value
n
Mean
t
Mean
t
Mean
t
Gender
Male
Female
118
136
69.44
64.55
2.82**
65.10
65.66
-0.362
0.75
0.57
5.54***
Age
≤ 65 y.o.
> 65 y.o
134
120
68.96
64.43
2.61**
66.94
63.65
2.13*
0.73
0.56
5.19***
1
st
Education ≤
215
40
65.80
72.44
-2.76**
64.51
70.26
-2.72**
0.63
0.78
-3.16**
grade
>
1
st
grade
*p<.05, **p<.01, ***p<.001.
4
Discussion
In general, this study showed that female respondents represented the majority
(53.5%), not following the 2013 national data, where the existence of a statistically
significant difference in the prevalence of diabetes among men (15.6%) and women
(10.7%) is mentioned. This situation can also be explained, at least in large part, by
gender-related cultural issues. In fact, confirming this perspective, the proportion of
people registered in primary care, for active diagnosis, in the Alto Minho is 7.6%,
being slightly higher in men (8.0%) [3]. Women will more likely adhere to vigilance,
especially as it is a normal consultation that implies, in most situations, going more
faraway.
The average age was relatively high (62.7 years), confirming what is described in
the literature in terms of prevalence of diabetes in the Portuguese population as age
increases, where more than a quarter of people aged between 60 and 79 years has
diabetes [2].
We found a low level of qualifications: 75.9% of respondents' education was first
grade, which turns the fight against diabetes more difficult, according to other authors
[8], [10], [16]. This is a fact that we must bear in mind in the empowering of people
with diabetes, especially since much needs to be done at the level of education in
Portugal, in general, and in the Alto Minho, in particular. In 2011, the latest available
official data, approximately 10.3% of the population did not have any level of
education and 14.8% held higher education level [17]. In the Alto Minho, according
to the same source, for the same period, 14.0% of the population had not completed
any level of education and only 9.7% had received higher education training.
With regard to BMI, we found a high average value (30.88 Kg/m
2
), consistent with
obesity degree 1 [14]. In fact, 38.8% of the respondents were overweight and 49.6% had
different levels of obesity, thus revealing very negative values with regard to their
nutritional status. In the literature it is referred to exist a relationship between the level
of BMI and diabetes, with close to 90% of the Portuguese population with diabetes to be
overweight (49.2%) or obese (39.6%) [18]. The prevalence of diabetes in obese people
(BMI≥30) is about four times greater than in people with normal BMI (BMI=25) [2].
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