Knowledge, Attitude and Perceptions of Diabetic Patients Towards Covid-19 Infection in Two Healthcare Facilities in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

Background: People with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) have a higher overall risk of infection that results from multiple perturbations of innate immunity. This risk is higher for severe disease with COVID-19 infection. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions (KAP) of diabetic patients regarding COVID-19 infection in two hospitals in Lagos State, South-West Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a structured, self-administered questionnaire, with consecutive sampling technique was conducted among diabetic patients attending endocrinology clinics at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and Randle General Hospital (RGH) from February to May, 2023to obtain participants sociodemographic dtails and their KAP towards COVID-19 infection. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's correlation and multinomial regression analysis. Level of significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A total of 290 participants took part in this study. Majority were males 153 (52.8%), aged between 46 and 65 years, 227 (78.3%), and not in health-related occupations, 270 (93.1%). The prevalence of good versus moderate knowledge, attitude and perceptions were 58.2 vs 35.9%, 22.1 vs 43.1% and 22.4 vs 40.7% respectively. Educational level and occupation were significantly correlated with the knowledge, attitude and perceptions of participants. Married participants had twice as good knowledge levels (OR 1.92, 95% CI (0.53 -6.94)), participants with tertiary education and a healthcare related occupation had twice as good attitudes (OR 1.62, 95% CI (0.56 - 4.66)) and (OR 1.60, 95% CI (0.52 - 4.91)) respectively, while those with no formal education had twice as good perception of infection (OR 2.00, 95% CI (0.50 - 7.93)) than others. Conclusion: The study demonstrated good overall knowledge of COVID-19, but moderate attitudes and perceptions towards it among participants. Educational level and occupation were significantly correlated with the knowledge, attitude and perceptions of participants, underscoring the significance of promoting education among this population, thereby rectifying misconceptions, and fostering positive attitudes towards the disease.