Blood glucose level testing in Poland - do socio-economic factors influence its frequency? A nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Abstract

Introduction and objective: The number of patients diagnosed with diabetes is constantly increasing. Opportunistic screening for diabetes, based on blood glucose tests, can result in early diagnosis and mitigation of its complications. The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of blood-glucose tests in adults in Poland, and factors associated with the frequency of blood-glucose tests, including respondents' knowledge about diabetes.

Material and methods: In June 2022, a nationwide cross-sectional survey was carried out among adults in Poland.` The survey used a computer-assisted web interview technique and a self-developed questionnaire that included questions on respondents' self-reported knowledge of diabetes, time since last blood glucose test and socio-demographic characteristics of participants.

Results: The study population comprised 1,051 individuals aged 18-85 years, among whom 53.3% were females. Over a third of respondents (36.3%) declared a bad or rather bad knowledge about diabetes. Almost half of the respondents (48.7%) had a blood glucose test in the last 12 months, and 12.4% declared that they had never had a blood glucose test. Among respondents without diagnosed diabetes, female gender (OR=1.30, 0.96-1.76; p=0.009), age over 50 years (p<0.05), history of diabetes in the respondent's family (OR=1.83, 1.33-2.51; p<0.001), and good or at least moderate level of knowledge of diabetes were significantly associated (p<0.05) on blood glucose test frequency.

Conclusions: The presented data manifest the need to intensify screening for diabetes combined with implementing a comprehensive education strategy regarding diabetes in Poland.