Attitude of doctors towards the screening & management of Pre-diabetes I adults presenting to tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69723/njms.05.01.0706Keywords:
Prediabetes, Prediabetes Management, Screening DiseaseAbstract
Background: Prediabetes, a reversible high-risk state for type 2 diabetes, remains significantly underdiagnosed, hindering timely intervention. With Pakistan ranking third globally in diabetes prevalence, understanding physician practices is critical for prevention. This study assesses the attitudes of doctors towards the screening and management of prediabetes in adults at tertiary care hospitals in Peshawar.
Objective: This study aims to assess the attitudes of doctors towards the screening and management of prediabetes in adults.
Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted from 26th March 2025 to 26th September 2025. A total of 106 doctors were recruited via convenience sampling technique. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), t-tests, ANOVA, and regression analyses were used to determine the strengths of association with demographics, with p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: In current study majority of the doctors have positive attitudes: 63.2% supported universal screening, 75.5% favored WHO/ADA guidelines, and 74.5% agreed evidence-based practice is effective. Nonetheless, psychological effects were perceived differently, and 35.8% of respondents believed that diagnosis might have adverse effects on mental health. Additionally, this study demonstrates that male doctors adhered more to guidelines than females (p = 0.04), and TMOs had more positive attitudes toward screening than registrars (p = 0.03). Higher qualifications were linked with concern about psychological impact of the diagnosis (p = 0.02).
Conclusion: Doctors in Peshawar tended to have positive attitudes towards prediabetes screening, and management. Nevertheless, health systems, skills-based training, and localized guidelines should be enhanced to channel positive attitudes into effective preventive practice
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