Knowledge of diabetes and its determinants: a cross-sectional study among adults in a Japanese community

Abstract

Objective: To assess general knowledge of diabetes and its determinants among adult men and women in a Japanese community.

Setting: A cross-sectional study with the residential registry in Gifu City. Blood tests were conducted to measure fasting blood glucose levels and the levels after 2 hours of a 75-gram oral glucose load. Participants' previous diagnosis of diabetes and demographic status were identified from a questionnaire. A validated food frequency questionnaire was also administered. To assess the association between good knowledge of diabetes and the level of each factor, a logistic regression was utilised with adjustments for age, education and parental history of diabetes.

Participants: A total of 1019 men and women aged 40-78 years.

Primary outcome measure: The Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire was administered. Participants with ≥75% of answers correct were defined as having a good knowledge of diabetes.

Results: Previous diagnosis of diabetes was significantly associated with good knowledge of diabetes (OR=2.36; 95% CI 1.19 to 4.68). Among individuals with no previous diagnosis of diabetes, age ≥60 years (OR=0.55; 95% CI 0.36 to 0.86, p value for trend=0.02) and education <12 years (OR=0.54; 95% CI 0.30 to 0.97) were significantly associated with low knowledge of diabetes. The highest tertile intakes of green-yellow vegetables (OR=1.77; 95% CI 1.07 to 2.91, p value for trend=0.03) and seafood (OR=1.76; 95% CI 1.04 to 2.95, p value for trend=0.03) were associated with high knowledge of diabetes.

Conclusions: Some diabetes risk factors were implied to determine the general knowledge of diabetes. Conducting further studies of knowledge in various populations is warranted.

Keywords: diabetes and endocrinology; preventive medicine; public health.