Knowledge of Diabetes among Adults at High Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in the Trivandrum District of Kerala, India

Abstract

We aimed to study the knowledge of diabetes among individuals with a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes in the Trivandrum district of the Indian state of Kerala. The baseline data collected from 1007 participants of the Kerala Diabetes Prevention Program were analyzed. Diabetes knowledge was assessed using a scale adapted from a large nationwide study conducted in India. The composite score of the scale ranged from 0 to 8. The mean age of the participants was 46.0 (SD: 7.5) years, and 47.2% were women. The mean diabetes knowledge score was 6.9 (SD: 2.1), with 59.5% having the maximum possible score of 8. Of the 1007 participants, 968 (96.1%) had heard the term diabetes, and of them, 87.2% knew that the prevalence of diabetes is increasing, 92.9% knew at least one risk factor for diabetes, 79.6% knew that diabetes can cause complications in organs, and 75.9% knew that diabetes can be prevented. While the overall level of knowledge of diabetes about its risk factors, complications, and prevention was generally high, an alarmingly low proportion of participants knew that diabetes can affect key organs such as the eyes (24.0%), heart (20.1%), feet (10.2%), and nerves (2.9%), and nearly a quarter (24.1%) were not aware that diabetes can be prevented. It is essential to educate high-risk individuals about diabetes complications and the importance of and strategies for diabetes prevention in the Trivandrum district of Kerala.