Assessment of self-monitoring of blood glucose practice among type 2 diabetics a ending General Out-Patient Clinic in a Tertiary health facility in Osun State, South-west Nigeria

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic non communicable disease that has reached a global pandemic proportion with increasing prevalence, morbidity and mortality, especially in low and middle-income countries. An important component of modern therapy for DM is self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) to inform changes for an improved glycaemic control. However, despite the fact that SMBG is one of the most effective monitoring and control measures for DM, the prevalence of poor glycaemic control among diabetics in this environment still calls for concern, hence the impetus for this study. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and pattern of SMBG practice among adult type 2 diabetics attending General Out-Patient Clinic (GOPC) in Osun State University (UNIOSUN) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun state, Nigeria. This was to determine the frequency, timing and level of SMBG practice among the participants. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study that used a pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire to obtain information on the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics, prevalence and pattern of SMBG practice. One hundred and seventy five adult type 2 diabetics who a ended the GOPC between November 2019 and January 2020 who met the inclusion criteria were recruited. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS). Results: A total of 175 participants took part in this study and 49.1% of them practiced SMBG. Among the participants that practiced SMBG, 56.9% checked their fasting blood glucose on daily basis while others checked it on weekly or monthly basis. Conclusion: This study revealed that the level of SMBG practice among the study participants was fair with a structured pa ern of practice, therefore advocacy on SMBG practice with emphasis on knowledge of the structured pattern of practice is strongly recommended for improved glycaemic control.