Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding diabetes mellitus and hypertension among non-teaching staff of a tertiary care hospital in Tamil Nadu: a cross-sectional study

Background: Diabetes mellitus and hypertension are major non-communicable diseases. Adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and healthy practices are important for their prevention and control. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding diabetes mellitus and hypertension among non-teaching staff and their association with selected sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 110 non-teaching staff at Government Medical College and Hospital, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, during May–June 2024. Participants were selected by simple random sampling. Data were collected using a validated structured questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Data were analysed using SPSS version 26. Differences in continuous KAP scores across groups were assessed using independent samples Student's t-test and one-way ANOVA, while categorical associations were evaluated using the Chi-square test (p<0.05 considered significant). Results: Among 110 participants, 88 (80.0%) had good knowledge, 103 (93.6%) had a positive attitude, and 29 (26.4%) had good practices. Most participants were male (80.0%), and 53 (48.2%) were aged 41–50 years. Educational status was significantly associated with knowledge (p=0.007) and practice (p=0.009). Diabetes mellitus was present in 41 (37.2%) and hypertension in 53 (48.2%) participants. Participants with ≥3 risk factors had a significantly higher proportion of diabetes mellitus (47.5% vs. 24.5%; χ²=6.18, p=0.013) and hypertension (60.7% vs. 32.7%; χ²=8.53, p=0.003) compared with those with <3 risk factors. Conclusion: Despite good knowledge and positive attitudes, preventive practices were suboptimal. Workplace-based health education, regular screening, lifestyle counselling, and risk-factor reduction strategies may improve NCD prevention among non-teaching staff.