The evaluation of knowledge levels and attitudes towards diabetes among adults who has type 2 diabetes and continue the school of diabetes in Ankara

Mançu Tülek T. The Evaluation of Knowledge Levels and Attitudes towards Diabetes among Adults who Has Type 2 Diabetes and Continue the School of Diabetes in Ankara. Hacettepe University, Institute of Health Sciences, Dietetic Programme, Master's Thesis, Ankara, 2018. The constant elements of the treatment of diabetes which becomes increasingly common both in the world and in our country are patient education, medical nutrition therapy and exercise. The current study aims to determine the general health and dietary conditions of individuals with type2 diabetes between the age of 27 and 73 who receive comprehensive diabetes education and to evaluate the effect of education on the level of dietary knowledge and attitudes toward diabetes. General health and dietary conditions, food consumption frequencies, anthropometrics, HbA1c levels in the blood, levels of dietary knowledge before and after the education, and attitudes towards diabetes of 80 voluntary adults who are educated in schools of diabetes in Ankara, are evaluated using Diabetes Attitude Scale (DAS). When the results of dietary knowledge tests conducted both at the beginning and at the end of the school of diabetes are compared, a significant increase in the number of correct answers is detected. The average of correct answers for 35 questions before the education increased from 21,05±4,7 (60% of total) to 23,9±4,1 (68,3% of total) after the school ended (p<0,05). When the dietary knowledge test results are compared according to the individuals' anthropometric measurements, a significant increase is found in the number of correct answers of mildly fat and fat groups as well as the individuals with high waist circumference (p<0,05). When the individuals are classified according to their HbA1c levels (HbA1c <%7 and ≥%7), a significant increase is found in both groups' correct answers (p<0,05). As a result of DAS conducted before and after the school of diabetes, the attitudes of patients towards diabetes is found to be positive (p>0,05). The DAS results of individuals before and after the school didn't show significant difference according to the body-mass index (BMI), waist circumference and HbA1c levels (p>0,05). Diabetes school lessons have been completed in 1 day or 4-6 weeks and DAS results of individuals who completed the lessons in 4-6 weeks are found to be significantly higher than those completed the lessons in 1 day. In the current study, the schools of diabetes are found to provide a significant increase in dietary knowledge levels. It is beneficiary to conduct new research regarding the issue using long-term follow up of patients and work in order to increase the effectiveness of the schools of diabetes. Keywords: Type2 Diabetes, School of Diabetes, Dietary Knowledge, Diabetes Attitude Scale