Disease-specific knowledge and lifestyle behavior in patients with diabetes mellitus

•The overall score of disease-specific knowledge was 69%.•The two types of DM present significant differences in total scores of knowledge.•People with DM type 1 are more up-to-date on practical aspects of its management.•Patients who attend private DM education centers present higher knowledge scores.•Changes in lifestyle are encouraged by education on food weighing and exercise.

AimTo investigate whether people with diabetes mellitus (DM) have different disease-specific knowledge according to gender, DM type and centre of education and if they have adopted appropriate changes in their lifestyle according to their DM-related knowledge.Patients and methodsA total of 76 patients with DM (males: 31, females: 45; age 18–82 years; DM type 1: 45, DM type 2: 31) participated in this cross-sectional, multi-center, questionnaire-based study. The Revised Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Scale questionnaire includes disease-specific questions on DM, diet and exercise. The “Diabetes Care Profile” questionnaire of the Michigan Diabetes Research and Training Center was applied to identify the demographic characteristics of the individuals, the education in diabetes, nutrition and exercise and the changes in lifestyle according to the given instructions.ResultsThe overall score of correct answers was 69%. Gender did not present any difference in knowledge about DM (p = 0.259), diet (p = 0.971) and exercise (p = 0.262). In contrast, patients with DM type 1 achieved higher scores in knowledge about DM (p < 0.001) and foot care (p = 0.019) compared to the patients with DM type 2. Patients attending private DM-specific support centers achieved more correct answers compared to those attending public hospitals' outpatient clinics (p = 0.003).ConclusionsPatients with DM type 1 and patients who attend private DM-educational centers receive more education on practical aspects of DM management and have superior knowledge related to it.