Eureka! Institutional Repository

Introduction: Diabetes Mellitus is a serious metabolic disease with its prevalence reaching 8.6% in the adult population in Greece. The participation of public in health educational programs is expected to help control and management of diabetes. However, in order to establish these educational programs it is necessary to assess the public’s current level of knowledge and attitudes regarding diabetes. Purpose: The purpose of this study was the evaluation and comparative presentation of knowledge and attitudes between nursing students and general population regarding diabetes mellitus. Methodology: A synchronic, quantitative study with convenience sampling was conducted. In total, two hundred people were requested to respond in two already tested questionnaires of Michigan Diabetes Research Center. Half of them were nursing students, coming from all of the current spring semesters of the nursing department of the Alexander Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki (A.T.E.I.T.). The rest of the participants, the general population, were patients attending a private medical practice in Thessaloniki. Results: The mean score of nursing students’ general knowledge was 8.13, Τ.Α.±1.98/14 and the mean score of knowledge regarding the use of insulin was 4.89, Τ.Α.±1.92/9. The general populations’ mean score was 7.90, Τ.Α.±2.35/14 και 4.26, Τ.Α.±2.52/9 respectively. The attitudes of both groups were positive to neutral, whereas the parameter that had more positives attitudes was "the necessity for special training among Healthcare Professionals". The dominant indicators of knowledge were the level of education and the family history of the disease while the attitudes’ indicators were the level of education, the personal existence of the disease and the attendance at the optional subject "Diabetes Mellitus". Conclusions: Nursing students had better level of knowledge but less positive attitudes towards diabetes over the general population. However, there is always substancial room for improvement of knowledge and attitudes of the sample.