Safe Travel Practices and Awareness among Diabetic Patients

OBJECTIVE: To measure the knowledge of Saudi patients with diabetes in coping with their condition and to assess their practice of disease control during travels. Study Design. Cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire. METHOD: This study was conducted between September 2018 and May 2019 at a University hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The questions were adopted from guidelines and advices provided by the CDC, American Diabetic Association, and other references. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify factors associated with diabetic control during travels. RESULTS: From the included 242 patients, 33.6% showed the good practice of diabetic control during travels. 23.7% of patients were communicated by their doctors about the importance of consultations before traveling and 20.7% encountered complications during travels. Factors associated with doctors' consultation before travel are patients' concerns about travel duration and possible risks during trip. (OR = 2.588, 95% CI = 5.308–1.261), (OR = 3.525, 95% CI = 8.152–1.525); respectively. CONCLUSION: Patient awareness and education about the importance of proper diabetic self-monitoring and control during travels is crucial as the study showed suboptimal diabetes management practice. Practice Implications. Physicians should proactively educate patients about the importance of seeking advice before their travels.