Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of COVID-19 Safety Measures Among Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an infectious disease caused by an enveloped RNA beta coronavirus, has become a pandemic, with a mortality rate ranging from 0.7% to 10.8%. Although older adults with comorbidity are more likely to suffer severe disease and eventual mortality, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most frequently reported noncommunicable diseases shown to predict poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients.

Aim:  To determine the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of COVID-19 safety measures and factors associated with poor knowledge and practice among type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah.

Methodology:  This cross-sectional study included 267 patients with T1DM aged 18-65, admitted to the hospital from January to June 2020. Data were collected via phone interviews during September 2020. The questionnaire consisted of 15 questions for knowledge, five for attitude, and eight concerning practices, and some questions were based on diabetes and COVID-19 specifically.

Results:  Overall, 64 participants with a median age of 53 years were studied. The median COVID-19 knowledge score showed poor (11.50%), average (43.75%), and good knowledge (6.25%). Most of the participants practiced precautionary measures outside their homes.

Conclusion:  In conclusion, half of the population had poor COVID-19 knowledge, 60.9% of the participants felt anxious, and most of them performed precautionary measures, including wearing a facemask, maintaining a 1-m distance, and washing their hands regularly.