Beliefs about medicines among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Quetta city, Pakistan: a cross-sectional assessment

Aim It is imperative to adhere to the medication regimen to improve glycemic control and prevent complications in patients with diabetes. By having a better understanding of people’s beliefs about medicines in specific and general contexts, this problem may be addressed. The aim of the current study was to assess the influence of beliefs about medication in type 2 diabetic patients attending a public health care institute of Quetta city, Pakistan. Subjects and methods A cross-sectional study with a prevalence-based sampling of 180 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending a tertiary care hospital of Quetta city was carried out. The study used a validated Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) and SPSS version 2.5 was used for data analysis. Multiple tests such as Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis and Bonferroni post-hoc adjustment were used to assess the association between the variables. Results A total of 180 patients suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus took part in the study. The majority of the respondents (33.8%) were in the age range of 38–47 years: married (77.4%) males (83.3%) dominated the cohort. A majority of respondents (54.4%) had urban residency, with 78.4% having a diabetic history from the previous 5 years. The mean score of specific necessity was 15.92 ± 2.91 and that of specific concern was 16.47 ± 2.3 ,indicating moderate levels of both variables. In addition, Bonferroni post-hoc adjustment showed that patients using more than three drugs have a significant association with specific concerns as compared to a single drug. Conclusion Patients beliefs about anti-diabetic medication were suboptimal, characterized by a negative belief towards their drugs. Enhancing patients’ knowledge about diabetes through a diabetes educator and during an encounter with a health care provider is necessary to shape positive beliefs about medicines.