Knowledge and practice of primary care physicians towards management of dyslipidemia in individuals with diabetes in Khartoum and Karray localities: a cross-sectional online survey

Background: Dyslipidemia is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) especially in individuals living with diabetes. Therefore, management of dyslipidemia is the cornerstone in the management of diabetes. There is still a gap in knowledge and practice of dyslipidemia management and the attitude of the physicians can affect the efficacy of lipid management. The aim of the current study was to assess the knowledge and practice of primary care physicians in Sudan in management of dyslipidemia in individuals with diabetes. Methods: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, facility-based study enrolled 134 doctors and conducted in the primary health care centers in Khartoum and Karary localities. Convenience sampling method was used to select the participated physicians working in the primary healthcare centers in the two localities. Doctors working in MOH in the selected localities during the study period and accepted to participate in the study were included. The data was collected using pre-tested, self-administered, online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographic characteristics of the participants, knowledge section and practice section. Results: Ninety percent of primary care physician knew the risk for developing dyslipidemia. Two-thirds of the participants reported that they know the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Two-thirds of them recognized that they should start medications at a low density lipoprotein (LDL) level of 130 mg/dL or more. Eighty-three percent of them recognized that statin is the best drug for reaching LDL therapeutic target. Overall, more than two-thirds of the participants revealed a high level of knowledge (69.4%), while 17.2% revealed a moderate level of knowledge. Knowledge of the participants was statistically significantly associated with postgraduate study in family medicine, workshops attendance, and conferences attendance (P<0.001). This trend was noted to be statistically significant and correlated with the average numbers of individuals with diabetes reviewed per month (correlation coefficient =0.312, P<0.001). Logistic regression revealed that having postgraduate study in family medicine predicts a high level of knowledge [P=0.005; odds ratio (OR) =5; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.626–15.675]. Conclusions: Two thirds of Sudanese primary care physicians have good knowledge and practice in the management of diabetic dyslipidemia especially those with a diploma in family medicine. Primary care physicians should be encouraged to attend workshops, seminars and conferences to bridge the gap and improve their knowledge in management of dyslipidemia.