AUTHOR=Sachkouskaya Anastasiya , Sharshakova Tamara , Kovalevsky Dmitry , Rusalenko Maria , Savasteeva Irina , Goto Aya , Yokokawa Hirohide , Kumagai Atsushi , Takahashi Jumpei TITLE=Barriers to Prevention and Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among Outpatients in Belarus JOURNAL=Frontiers in Clinical Diabetes and Healthcare VOLUME=2 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/clinical-diabetes-and-healthcare/articles/10.3389/fcdhc.2021.797857 DOI=10.3389/fcdhc.2021.797857 ISSN=2673-6616 ABSTRACT=Objectives

This study aimed to determine the main barriers and reasons for non-adherence to preventive measures and treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus among outpatients in Belarus.

Methods

An anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted with 814 adults aged 18 years and over who visited outpatient health care units and hospitals in Belarus. The questionnaire was developed to analyze the perceived barriers that limit adherence to preventive measures and treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Results

The proportion of respondents who reported doing daily physical activity was 53.2%, and 46.6% consumed at least 400 grams of fruit and vegetables per day. Among the 42.8% of respondents with a prescribed treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus, 50.1% sometimes forgot to take their medicine. The specific barriers to treatment most frequently identified by survey respondents were “Financial situation” (23.5% of respondents), and “Fear of side effects” (25.2%). Those for lifestyle instructions were “Insufficient knowledge” (29.3%), “Financial situation” (27.9%), and “Lack of motivation” (21.7%).

Conclusions

The study revealed that the main barriers to adherence were insufficient knowledge of diabetes and its treatment and an underestimation of the role of behavioral risk factors in health, combined with financial difficulties. We recommend that physicians should take a patient-centered approach to raising awareness of behavioral risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus, and suggest that the importance of adhering to preventative measures and treatment should be promoted in consultations in Belarus.