Knowledge of diabetes mellitus: does gender make a difference?
OBJECTIVE
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease considered an important public health problem. In recent years, its prevalence has been exponentially rising in many developing countries. Chronic complications of DM are important causes of morbidity and mortality among patients, which impair their health and quality of life. Knowledge on disease prevention, etiology, and management is essential to deal with parents, patients, and caregivers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge regarding DM in an adult population from a Middle-western Brazilian city.


METHODS
This was a cross-sectional study covering 178 adults, aged 18-64 years, who answered a diabetes knowledge questionnaire. In order to identify the difference between groups, analysis of variance was used.


RESULTS
Higher knowledge scores were found regarding the role of sugars on DM causality, diabetic foot care, and the effects of DM on patients (blindness, impaired wound healing, and male sexual dysfunction). However, lower scores were found amongst types of DM, hyperglycemic symptoms, and normal blood glucose levels. Females tended to achieve better knowledge scores than males.


CONCLUSIONS
Women had better knowledge regarding types of DM, normal blood glucose values, and consequences of hyperglycemia revealed that diabetes education should be improved.
Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Araguaia, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Barra do Garças, Brazil.
Patrício Fernando
PF
Lemes Dos Santos
Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Araguaia, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Barra do Garças, Brazil.
Poliana Rodrigues
PR
Dos Santos
Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Araguaia, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Barra do Garças, Brazil.
Graziele Souza Lira
GS
Ferrari
Univar, Barra do Garças, Brazil.
Gisele Almeida Amaral
GA
Fonseca
Latin American Institute of Life and Natural Sciences, Federal University of Latin American Integration, Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil ; Graduate Program on Basic and Applied Immunology and Parasitology, Institute of Biological and Health Sciences, Araguaia, Federal University of Mato Grosso, Barra do Garças, Brazil.
Carlos Kusano Bucalen
CK
Ferrari
Amazon; diabetes mellitus; health education; women