Hypoglycemia knowledge and its associated factors among type 2 diabetes patients in Bangladesh

Hypoglycemia is a convoluted complication among people with type 2 diabetes; still, little is known about patients’ awareness of the condition in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with the awareness among patients with type 2 diabetes regarding hypoglycemia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 500 patients undergoing treatment in outpatient departments at three diabetes hospitals in Cumilla, Chittagong, and Dhaka. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire covering sociodemographic details, clinical information, and questions on hypoglycemia awareness. To investigate the factors associated with the knowledge, multinomial logistic regression was used. All the results were assessed using a 5% level of significance. Of the participants, only 27.6% demonstrated adequate knowledge of hypoglycemia. However, approximately 44.8% of participants had moderate knowledge, and 27.4% had inadequate knowledge. Our study found significant associations between knowledge level and education, residence, ability to read Bengali, HbA1c values, and prior hypoglycemia-related education. Urban residents and higher-educated participants were significantly more likely to have adequate knowledge. Individuals living in urban areas have approximately three times higher odds of having adequate knowledge compared to those who live in rural areas, and those with graduation are around four times higher likely to have adequate knowledge than those with no education. The findings reveal poor awareness of hypoglycemia among people with type 2 diabetes in Bangladesh. Diabetes care should include education sessions for rural and less-educated patients in particular. Better communication with healthcare providers and community awareness programs may help patients identify and prevent hypoglycemia.