Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude, Practice Among Patients With Hypothyroidism in a Tertiary Care Hospital at Puducherry - A Cross Sectional Study

Back ground Hypothyroidism is a commonest endocrine disorder globally. The awareness of the patient regarding the disease and treatment is vital. To assess the knowledge, attitude, practice among patients with hyp Objectives othyroidism in a tertiary care hospital at Puducherry. The present study was cross sectional study carried out Material and methods among hypothyroid patients more than 18 years of age attending to the outpatient department, department of general medicine. The study period was 3 months. Informed consent was obtained from all the participants included into the study. The sample size was estimated to 200. The data was collected in a semi structured questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics. Results 122 (61%) had known the shape of thyroid. 144 (72%) had known the location of thyroid gland. 102 (51%) had known the hormones responsible for hypothyroidism. 84 (42%) had known the relation between TSH and hypothyroidism. 164 (82%) reported that they took thyroid medications regularly. 130 (65%) reported that they sometime miss the doses. 148 (74%) reported that they take medication 30 to 60 minutes prior to breakfast. Conclusion With regard to practice, certain recommended practices like checking TSH levels were poor. Increasing the knowledge in aid in better practice among the participants.