Knowledge attitude and practices of type 2 diabetics with ultrasound diagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has detrimental hepatic and cardio-metabolic outcomes in type 2 diabetics. Appropriate self care for holistic disease management is dependent on knowledge attitude and practices (KAP) of the patients. However, there is no data on KAP of type 2 diabetics with NAFLD. Objective: To assess the KAP of type 2 diabetics with ultrasound diagnosed NAFLD. Methodology: Information on KAP was elicited with a close ended questionnaire through semi-structured interview method from outpatient type 2 diabetics with ultrasound diagnosed NAFLD (N=60), along with anthropometric and biochemical assessment. Results: The NAFLD males (n=22) had higher waist hip ratio (0.98 vs. 0.92, P 0.000) and the NAFLD females (n=38) had higher body mass index (30.5 vs. 25.8kg/m2, P 0.000) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (112.2 vs. 91.2mg/dl, P 0.010). Gender irrespective, majority of the subjects could not define NAFLD (95%), risk factors, diagnosis and treatment modalities for NAFLD (96.6%). Only 5% opined that diabetes might have impacted their liver and 98.3% were unaware about the clinical presentation of NAFLD. The attitude and practice score (7.72 vs. 6.31, P 0.019) and the KAP score of NAFLD males was higher than the NAFLD females (8.3 vs. 6.6, P 0.031), but 95% of the subjects had low KAP score. Conclusions: Type 2 diabetics with NAFLD had a poor KAP score. Nutrition education for imparting NAFLD knowledge to improvise self care is the need of the hour that may aid in effective holistic management and lead to favourable health outcomes.