Educational needs of people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and their parents: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the educational needs of type 1 diabetes patients and their parents.

Design: A cross-sectional design was employed.

Methods: Data were collected via an online survey and analysed by descriptive statistics and an independent t-test. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS version 25.0. Participants comprised type 1 diabetes patients (100) and their parents (93).

Results: Complications management, disease characteristics and exercise were found to be the highest educational needs of type 1 diabetes patients and their parents. The following educational needs differed between patients and parents: complication management, exercise, continuous management, psychosocial needs and risk factors. Regarding psychosocial needs, social life was the most needed in terms of disease management and how to have a social life with the disease.

Keywords: chronic illness; diabetes mellitus; education; type 1 parents.