Publication: ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DYSLIPIDAEMIA KNOWLEDGE & LIPID TESTING PRACTICE AMONG ADULTS IN TAMAN SELATAN, KLANG
Date
2022
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Medical University
Abstract
Dyslipidaemia is a highly prevalent and asymptomatic disorder that warrants
blood lipid screenings to identify at-risk individuals and to prevent the development of vascular
diseases. Various predisposing, enabling and need factors have been described in literature to
elucidate the inclination of an individual to perform medical screenings. The objectives of this
study were to determine the level of knowledge about dyslipidaemia, to determine the
association between the level of knowledge about dyslipidaemia and the frequency of lipid
testing, and to determine the personal and healthcare related factors in relation to predisposing,
enabling and need factors that are associated with the frequency of lipid testing among adults
aged 30 and above, residing in Taman Selatan, Klang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out amongst 314 residents of Taman Selatan
from September 2022 to October 2022. Participants were selected via systematic random
sampling and were administered a paper-based 42-item bilingual questionnaire, that assessed
the predisposing, enabling and need factors, in terms of the respondent’s sociodemographic
characteristics, knowledge about dyslipidaemia, belief and attitude towards screening, and
healthcare related factors that may influence lipid testing practice, as measured by the lipid
testing frequency of Malaysian adults aged 30 and above, residing in Taman Selatan, in the
past year.
Results: Out of the 314 residents approached, 271 responded to the questionnaire yielding a
response rate of 86.31%. The median and interquartile range for total dyslipidaemia knowledge score was found to be 5 and 1 respectively. A medium positive correlation was identified
between total dyslipidaemia knowledge score and frequency of blood lipid testing (r=0.447,
p<0.001). Four variables, namely total knowledge score (OR=1.385, 95% CI = 1.112, 1.726),
respondent’s belief and attitude, in terms of fatalistic attitudes, fear and perception of good
health (OR=0.276, 95% CI = 0.132, 0.575), ethnicity, specifically Chinese (OR=0.458, 95%
CI = 0.225, 0.933), and lower income group (OR=3.428, 95% CI = 1.379, 8.525) were found
to be statistically significantly associated with the frequency of lipid testing.
Conclusion: The sample had below average knowledge level about dyslipidaemia. Higher
knowledge score and low monthly income were associated with frequent lipid testing. Higher
fatalistic attitudes, fearfulness and perception of good health correlated to a decrease in lipid
testing frequency. Respondents of Chinese ethnicity were found to be associated with a lower
lipid testing frequency.
Key words: Dyslipidaemia, knowledge, lipid testing, practice, frequency.
Description
Keywords
Dyslipidemias, Knowledge, Cross-Sectional Studies, Attitude, Adult, Lipids, Perception