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Original Research Article
Evaluation of Smoking
Status among Diabetes Patients in the State of Penang,
Malaysia
Ali Q Blebil1*,
Syed AS Sulaiman1, Mohamed A Hassali2,
Juman A Dujaili1, Karuppiah Subramaniam3
and Nor A Aziz4
1Discipline of Clinical
Pharmacy, 2Discipline of Social and
Administrative Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang,
3Departemnt of Outpatient Clinic, 4Department
of Endocrinology and Diabetes, Penang General Hospital,
Jalan Residensi, 10990 Penang, Malaysia
*For correspondence:
Email:
aliblebil@yahoo.com
Tel: 006014-3427582
Received: 3 August 2012
Revised accepted: 8 April 2013
Tropical Journal of
Pharmaceutical Research, June 2013; 12(3): 445-448
http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v12i3.26
Abstract
Purpose:
To determine the prevalence of smoking among
diabetes patients attending Diabetes Outpatient Clinic
at Penang General Hospital, Penang, Malaysia.
Methods:
A cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the
smoking status of all the patients that registered at
the above clinic. The data were extracted from the
diabetes patients’ medical records. Between June 1st
2010 and June 30th 2011, all medical records
of type 1 and 2 diabetes patients were reviewed to
assess the prevalence of smoking.
Results:
Of 2547 diabetes patients, 447 patients were excluded
from the analysis as their smoking status was unknown,
leaving 2100 diabetes patients whose smoking status was
determined. The prevalence of smoking in diabetes
patients was estimated at 8 %. Smokers had shorter
duration of diabetes mellitus than non-smokers (6.70 ±
5.16 vs. 8.42 ± 6.66; respectively, p = 0.001). Smoking
was significantly associated with male gender and
younger age (p < 0.0001). Chinese diabetes patients were
the most prevalent race among smokers, compared with
Malay and Indian (50.3, 30.5 and 19.2 %, respectively);
however, the differences were statistically not
significant , p = 0.219).
Conclusion: The prevalence of smoking among diabetes
patients of the Malaysian clinic at Penang studied was
low. On the other hand, smoking status was inadequately
documented and no information was available on the
history of tobacco use in diabetes smokers.
Keywords: Prevalence,
Smoking status, Diabetes mellitus, Malaysia |
