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 community of residence drive unhealthy
diets and sedentary behaviour (e.g. increased physical inactivity); unhealthy diet and sedentary
behaviour are major risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This single-site hospitalbased 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, decisionmaking, and skills mastery for diabetes self-care.
