title: [Disease knowledge among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients attending primary care].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  assess disease knowledge among a patient population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional study in two health care centers belonging to the National Institute of Social Security (ISSSTE). A general knowledge questionnaire was applied to 141 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Chi-square tests to compare demographic variables with knowledge level were used. Alpha was set at p < 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  29.2% of participants scored correct answers and only 12.3% were fully knowledgeable. The highest percentage (42.4%) of correct knowledge was related to levels of blood glucose. There was no association between appropriate metabolical control among patients and disease knowledge. Being younger, having higher education and less than 10 years with the disease generated higher levels of knowledge.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge levels among the studied population are low and similar to the results from the literature. Demographic characteristics such as age and education are associated with changes in degree of knowledge. Patient educational programs are a fundamental component of a comprehensive approach to diabetes prevention.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Familiar, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México D.F., México. albemari@correo.unam.mx
authors.forename: Alberto González-Pedraza
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Avilés
authors.forename: Estela Patricia
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Alvara-Solís
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martínez-Vázquez
authors.forename: Raúl Efrén
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Ponce-Rosas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires