SINGAPORE – About four in five Singapore residents – 83.5 percent – can see and correctly identify symptoms of diabetes, but younger people tend to be less informed about the condition.
People aged 35 and over correctly identify diabetes symptoms about twice as often as people between the ages of 18 and 34. This is the result of a study by several public health institutions that was published here on Tuesday (April 20).
This knowledge gap about diabetes in younger people is a “critical area” that needs to be addressed, said Professor Chong Siow Ann, vice chairman of the Medical Board (Research) at the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) and the study’s principal investigator.
“This is important because the changeable risk factors are related to lifestyle and eating habits. These healthy patterns should be established early in life because prevention is far more effective when done early,” said Prof. Chong.
The study also found that respondents who are Malaysians, women, or those diagnosed with diabetes are more likely to detect diabetes than respondents who are Chinese, men, or those without a history of diabetes.
Prof. Chong noted that another important finding was why Singapore residents are not screening for diabetes.
Their causes can be addressed through initiatives to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve public health outcomes.
Almost half of those surveyed – 44.8 percent – said they didn’t know where to get a free screening.
Delay was cited by almost a third of respondents – 32.2 percent – as a reason for avoiding screening.
More than a quarter – 26 percent – said they saw no point in screening without follow-up or explanation from a healthcare provider.
The study was a collaboration between IMH, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, National Healthcare Group Polyclinics, and the National University of Singapore’s Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health. It was funded by the National Medical Research Council under the Health Services Research Grant.
The study began in 2018 and included 2,895 Singapore citizens and permanent residents aged 18 and over. It included a mix of people with and without diabetes.
Respondents were given a brief description of the symptoms affecting a hypothetical person to see if they could identify them as symptoms of diabetes.
In face-to-face interviews, they were also asked questions about the causes of diabetes, the complications of untreated diabetes, and behavior when seeking help.
Associate Professor Sum Chee Fang, senior advisor at KTPH and Admiralty Medical Center and co-investigator in the study, said the finding that struck him was that the vast majority of respondents were willing to befriend and socialize with people with diabetes to knot.
Only 2.3 percent of those surveyed said they were unwilling to be friends with someone with diabetes, while 3.1 percent were unwilling to be in contact with someone with diabetes.
One in eight – 12.6 percent – were unwilling to employ someone with diabetes, and 28.2 percent said they were unwilling to take someone with diabetes into their families.
Prof. Sum said: “Although some degree of stigma remains, I hope that as the understanding and acceptance of diabetes increases over time, the social space of people with diabetes will continue to grow and they will be able to become even healthier, more meaningful and healthier to lead life fulfilling. “
