Evaluation of diabetes knowledge level and its associated factors in patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Tunisia: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

A good level of knowledge about diabetes can help patients to be autonomous in the management of their disease, throughout their lives. The aim of our study was to evaluate the level of knowledge of Tunisian diabetics about their disease and determine its associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Type 1 and type 2 diabetics, selected by a convenience sampling were collected. A self-administered questionnaire written in Arabic including demographic and clinical characteristics, diabetes data and the validated Arabic version of the “Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Scale” was given to the participants. Results: Three hundred and thirty-three diabetics were collected. The responses to the questionnaire revealed a low level of knowledge about diabetes in 81.7% of cases. Primary education (p<10-3), low socioeconomic status (p<10-3), rural area (p<10-3), sedentary lifestyle (p<10-3), complications of diabetes (p=0.008), poor glycemic control (p<10-3) non-compliance with therapeutic education sessions (p<10-3), lack of self-monitoring of blood glucose and irregular medical follow-up (p=0.002) were the factors associated with the low level of knowledge of diabetics about their disease. Conclusion: Therapeutic education has a crucial role in the acquisition of knowledge about diabetes. To improve the level of knowledge of Tunisian diabetics, education strategies must be implemented.