J Nurs Acad Soc.  1977 Dec;7(2):83-94.

A Study of the Knowledge and Attitude of Diabetics

• Kim WS

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus is a worldwide disease affecting millions of persons and appears to be on the increase in Korea. At the present time it can not be cured but can be controlled. To achieve control the patient must know about the disease. Education of the patient is an essential part of the management of the diabetic and is the responsibility of the nurse. The educational program must be adapted according to patient's knowledge and attitude about their diseases. Therefore, the opportunity to assess the knowledge and attitude of diabetics must provided. The objectives of this study were : 1. To describe the general charaoteristcs of the study population. 2. To find out the characterics of experience of treatment. 3. To exame the knowledg and attitude of diabetics about theself-control. 4. To learn the influencing factors affecting the knowledge and attitude of diabetics about self-control. The study population defined and selected was 65 diabetics registered at the Diabetic Clinic of S. hospital who visited the Diabetic Clinic from April 16, 1976 to May 14, 1976. The direct interview method was used. Statistical analysis of the data was X2-test. The following results were obtained : A. General characteristics of the study population : The respondent' s average age was 50. 8 years old, sex ratio(male to female) revealed as 1 : 1.1, economic background was upper middle class, the most respondents had better than-average education, 78.4 percents of the rerpondents lived in Seoul, 47. 2 percents were unemployed, the average size of family was 5.3 and 47.7 percents of respondents had religions. B. The characteristics of clinical experience: The average duration was 7.0 years, 46.1 percents of respondents had experience of hospitalization, 56.9 percents was taking oral drugs,67.7 percents examined urine-sugar at home, 60.0 percents had treat complications and 20.0 percents had experience of coma. C . There was significant difference in the relationship : Between complications and durations of diabetes, hospitalization and therapeutic methods.

MeSH Terms

Child
Coma
Diabetes Mellitus
Education
Hospitalization
Humans
Korea
Seoul
Surveys and Questionnaires