Knowledge of Osteoporosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Mongolia: Web-based Cross-sectional Study During COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess osteoporosis knowledge among individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving care in Ulaanbaatar hospitals. Materials and Methods: Conducted as a cross-sectional survey, the study included 644 participants, both male and female, aged between 20 and 65, all diagnosed with T2DM. Participants completed an online questionnaire evaluating their understanding of international osteoporosis within a 20-30-minute timeframe, amid the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic in 2021. Knowledge levels were categorized using an Osteoporosis Knowledge Assessment Tool (OKAT), defining a good score as ≥20, a moderate score as 14-19, and a poor score as ≤1-13. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to discern predictors of OKAT scores. Results: Among the participants, 90.2% were married, 3.6% were unmarried, and 6.2% were divorced. Osteoporosis knowledge varied, with 1.08% demonstrating good knowledge, 25.62% having intermediate knowledge, and 73.3% possessing poor knowledge. Participants were stratified by T2DM duration, revealing that 47.5% had been diagnosed for 0-5 years, 26.86% for 6-10 years, and 25.62% for more than 11 years. Smoking was reported by 25% of participants, with 78.5% of males and 69.4% of females exhibiting poor osteoporosis knowledge. Among smokers, 0.6% had good knowledge, 24.2% had moderate knowledge, and 75.2% had poor knowledge. After adjusting for gender, odds ratios (OR) indicated that lower education was significantly linked to osteoporosis knowledge in T2DM (OR, 1.50; p=0.002). Additionally, OR for ophthalmic diseases and rheumatoid arthritis demonstrated a significant impact on osteoporosis knowledge in T2DM (OR, 1.01; p=0.001; OR, 1.20; p=0.001). Conclusion: Patients aged 20-65 diagnosed with T2DM displayed insufficient knowledge about osteoporosis. The findings underscore the necessity for enhancing awareness and understanding of osteoporosis, particularly among individuals with diabetes.

Keywords

• osteoporosis
• diabetes
• knowledge