Keywords
Abstract
Background: Saudi Arabia ranks the 4th country in the world in incidence rate of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). It is usually diagnosed in children and teens. Managing T1D at school is important for children's short- and long-term health. Little is known about how much teachers are compatible to support students with diabetes in schools in northern Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to assess factual knowledge about T1D among teachers in public female elementary schools.
Materials and methods: A cross-sectional survey approached teachers in 18 schools, systematically randomized among female elementary schools in Hail region (n=177).
Results: A completed 504 questionnaires were received. Among all, 220 (43.7%) reported ever having a student/s with T1D in their classrooms. About one third (32.5%) reported that their schools conducted training programs regarding T1D, however, only 10.8% who attended such programs. Of the participants, only one in four who reported self-efficacy in recognizing signals of hypoglycemia in a diabetic student. Regardless that the participant attained an overall fair knowledge score (13.20 ± 3.81 on 20-point scale; 66.0%), yet, just 27.3% who attained a score (≥80%) considered compatible with being an effective support person for students with diabetes.
Factors found to have independent positive association with teacher’s good knowledge were: received training (aOR 3.38; p<0.001), have/ever had diabetic student/s in his class (aOR 2.02; p=0.002), the teacher himself is diabetic or have a near contact diabetic person (aOR 2.35; p=0.001), family history of diabetes (aOR 1.84; p=0.015), and if the teacher can inject insulin (aOR1; p=0.003).
Conclusion: Teachers in elementary schools in our region need to improve their knowledge about diabetes in children, especially recognizing and management of diabetic emergencies. Pre-service and ongoing professional learning are crucially needed to empower teachers with factual knowledge and self-confidence in helping students with diabetes.
References
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