Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health concern, especially in Pakistan where an estimated 33 million people (aged 20-79 years) have diabetes. This pilot study explores T2DM risk using FINDRISC scoring, and examines participants' knowledge, attitudes, and costs of care...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | PLOS Global Public Health |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003087 |
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| author | Taimoor Ahmad Aisha Tauqir Heena Tariq Asra Qureshi Shirin Jalaluddin Unab I Khan Naaznin Lokhandwala Adnan Ahmad Khan Ayesha Khan |
| author_facet | Taimoor Ahmad Aisha Tauqir Heena Tariq Asra Qureshi Shirin Jalaluddin Unab I Khan Naaznin Lokhandwala Adnan Ahmad Khan Ayesha Khan |
| author_sort | Taimoor Ahmad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health concern, especially in Pakistan where an estimated 33 million people (aged 20-79 years) have diabetes. This pilot study explores T2DM risk using FINDRISC scoring, and examines participants' knowledge, attitudes, and costs of care related to T2DM across sexes.Adult participants (aged 25-65 years) residing in a low-income neighborhood in Rawalpindi, Pakistan were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data was collected via SurveyCTO® software-based questionnaire, incorporating the standardized FINDRISC tool and questions assessing diabetes-related knowledge, management practices, and the costs associated with disease management. Standardized anthropometric measurements were obtained for all individuals. Descriptive analysis, cross tabulations by sexes, Chi-square, and Fisher Exact probability tests were performed using Stata 17. The study included 260 participants (84 men, 176 women) with a mean age of 41 ± 11.8 years. Anthropometric measures revealed obesity in 44% and elevated waist circumference in 45% of men and 83% of women. Based on FINDRISC scoring, 9 (13%) men and 30 (30%) women exhibited a high risk of developing T2DM (p < 0.01). Despite demonstrating higher knowledge and positive self-management practices towards diabetes, a higher proportion of women were classified as high and very high risk of developing T2DM compared to men (30% vs 13%, p < 0.01). Among self-reported cases of T2DM (49 participants), only 63% reported paying for their treatment, with women reporting higher average monthly expenditures than men, though differences were not statistically significant. Hence, despite higher knowledge and positive self-management practice toward diabetes, women are at greater risk of developing T2DM. The findings suggest the need for expanded community testing using the FINDRISC tool T2DM risk assessment in low-income settings and linking high-risk individuals to healthcare providers. Additionally, targeted health awareness campaigns among poor urban residents, particularly addressing socio-cultural barriers that increase T2DM risk among women, are recommended. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c3271e2d44fa4f84b5fcd6652a218e30 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2767-3375 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLOS Global Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-c3271e2d44fa4f84b5fcd6652a218e302025-08-20T03:12:34ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLOS Global Public Health2767-33752025-01-0157e000308710.1371/journal.pgph.0003087Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan.Taimoor AhmadAisha TauqirHeena TariqAsra QureshiShirin JalaluddinUnab I KhanNaaznin LokhandwalaAdnan Ahmad KhanAyesha KhanType 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a growing global public health concern, especially in Pakistan where an estimated 33 million people (aged 20-79 years) have diabetes. This pilot study explores T2DM risk using FINDRISC scoring, and examines participants' knowledge, attitudes, and costs of care related to T2DM across sexes.Adult participants (aged 25-65 years) residing in a low-income neighborhood in Rawalpindi, Pakistan were selected using multi-stage cluster sampling. Data was collected via SurveyCTO® software-based questionnaire, incorporating the standardized FINDRISC tool and questions assessing diabetes-related knowledge, management practices, and the costs associated with disease management. Standardized anthropometric measurements were obtained for all individuals. Descriptive analysis, cross tabulations by sexes, Chi-square, and Fisher Exact probability tests were performed using Stata 17. The study included 260 participants (84 men, 176 women) with a mean age of 41 ± 11.8 years. Anthropometric measures revealed obesity in 44% and elevated waist circumference in 45% of men and 83% of women. Based on FINDRISC scoring, 9 (13%) men and 30 (30%) women exhibited a high risk of developing T2DM (p < 0.01). Despite demonstrating higher knowledge and positive self-management practices towards diabetes, a higher proportion of women were classified as high and very high risk of developing T2DM compared to men (30% vs 13%, p < 0.01). Among self-reported cases of T2DM (49 participants), only 63% reported paying for their treatment, with women reporting higher average monthly expenditures than men, though differences were not statistically significant. Hence, despite higher knowledge and positive self-management practice toward diabetes, women are at greater risk of developing T2DM. The findings suggest the need for expanded community testing using the FINDRISC tool T2DM risk assessment in low-income settings and linking high-risk individuals to healthcare providers. Additionally, targeted health awareness campaigns among poor urban residents, particularly addressing socio-cultural barriers that increase T2DM risk among women, are recommended.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003087 |
| spellingShingle | Taimoor Ahmad Aisha Tauqir Heena Tariq Asra Qureshi Shirin Jalaluddin Unab I Khan Naaznin Lokhandwala Adnan Ahmad Khan Ayesha Khan Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. PLOS Global Public Health |
| title | Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. |
| title_full | Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. |
| title_fullStr | Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. |
| title_short | Sex differences in risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A feasibility assessment of FINDRISC scoring and barriers to disease management in a low-income settlement of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. |
| title_sort | sex differences in risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus t2dm a feasibility assessment of findrisc scoring and barriers to disease management in a low income settlement of rawalpindi pakistan |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0003087 |
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