Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “knowledge”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Women's knowledge of taking oral contraceptive pills correctly and of emergency contraception: effect of providing information leaflets in general practice.

BACKGROUND: About one third of all pregnancies are unplanned and 20% of all pregnancies end in abortion. More than 170,000 legal abortions are performed in the United Kingdom annually. Nearly all general practitioners provide contraceptive advice; the most commonly used form of reversible contraception is the oral contraceptive pill. AIM: The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with women's knowledge of taking the contraceptive pill correctly and of emergency contraception, and to investigate if their knowledge could be improved in general practice by providing women with Family Planning Association information leaflets. METHOD: An uncontrolled intervention study was performed in one rural and one urban English general practice, using a self-completion questionnaire that was initially administered to women attending their general practitioner for oral contraception over six months from 1 October 1992. The questionnaire asked for: sociodemographic information; knowledge of how late women can be taking an oral contraceptive pill and still be protected against unplanned pregnancy; for how many days after being late with a pill they need to use other precautions; sources and methods of emergency contraception; and for how long the methods are effective after the primary contraceptive failure. After completing the questionnaire women were given two leaflets: one about how to take their prescribed contraceptive pill correctly and one about emergency contraception. Three to 12 months later the same questionnaire was administered in the same manner. RESULTS: Of 449 women completing the first questionnaire, 233 (52%) completed the second questionnaire. Initially 71% of 406 women taking an oestrogen/progestogen combined pill knew about the '12-hour rule' and 17% knew about the 'seven-day rule'; giving women information about the pill they were taking increased the extent of knowledge about these rules among 212 respondents to 82% (P < 0.01) and to 25% (P < 0.05), respectively. The proportion of respondents who knew that they could obtain emergency contraception from their own general practitioner, from any general practitioner and from family planning clinics all increased after they had received the leaflets (from 84% to 92%, from 34% to 47% and from 82% to 90%, respectively, all P < 0.01). There were significant improvements in the proportion of women knowing the duration of effectiveness of emergency contraception. However, after receiving the leaflet on emergency contraception the majority of women still did not know for how long after unprotected intercourse the high-dose combined pill and the intrauterine contraceptive device were effective (80% and 93% of 233 women, respectively). Improvements in knowledge depended upon women's social class, previous use of emergency contraception and with which practice they were registered. CONCLUSION: Providing women with leaflets about taking the contraceptive pill correctly and about emergency contraception appears to improve significantly their extent of such knowledge. If such practice was adopted elsewhere this increased knowledge might reduce the number of unplanned pregnancies in the UK. The effect of general practitioners personally providing such leaflets, with or without verbal instruction, warrants further study.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

Knowledge of pregnancy symptoms among abortion patients: is race a predictor?

This cross-sectional study characterizes first-trimester abortion patients who perceived inadequate knowledge of pregnancy symptoms and identifies net predictors of inadequate symptom knowledge. Data were collected at an abortion facility in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Study subjects were women surveyed on the day of their abortions, prior to termination procedures. Self-reported knowledge of pregnancy symptoms was the study's dependent variable. Of 342 women, 120 (35%) perceived inadequate symptom knowledge. These women more often were young, black, single, and poorly educated. Only black race was a net predictor of inadequate symptom knowledge when study variables were entered into a multiple logistic regression. Black race was the only net predictor of inadequate symptom knowledge among first-trimester abortion patients. This racial difference was not explained by socioeconomic or access factors. Future research should consider an alternative hypothesis, the possibility that more effective communications with black abortion patients are needed. Additionally, health-care providers should not presume that first-trimester abortion patients are familiar with pregnancy symptoms and should not stereotype patients who perceive knowledge limitations with regard to socioeconomic status.

Abortion, Legal↗
PubMed1997

Contraceptive knowledge, contraceptive use, and self-esteem among Navy personnel.

This study evaluated the sexual knowledge (including contraceptive and reproductive knowledge), contraceptive use, and self-esteem among a sample of 158 male and female United States Navy sailors assigned to Navy ships. In spite of the fact that men and women viewed themselves as relatively knowledgeable with respect to contraception, results showed substantial knowledge deficits. Women demonstrated significantly greater sexual knowledge than men, and contraceptive/ reproductive knowledge was highly correlated with self-reported use of contraceptives. Finally, self-esteem was highly correlated with sexual knowledge and certain contraceptive use behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Patients' knowledge about fats and cholesterol in the Community Cholesterol Survey Project.

OBJECTIVE: The Community Cholesterol Survey Project assessed attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors relating to cholesterol. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING: Six outpatient primary care practice sites (two urban, two suburban, and two rural) in northeast Ohio. PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred seventy-seven site-, age-, and gender-stratified adult patients were enrolled from a total of 604 approached (79% recruitment). INTERVENTIONS: Self-administered questionnaire and structured dietitian interview. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A knowledge score derived from responses to multiple-choice questions and a knowledge rating given by the study dietitian. Motivation and dietary health were similarly measured. RESULTS: Subjects did worse than random guessing for seven of 12 knowledge questions regarding label reading, fats, and cholesterol. In particular, the meaning of "hydrogenated" and the relative energy content of fats was poorly understood. Knowledge scores and ratings were significantly correlated (r = .52). Knowledge ratings were higher in those who were receiving a cholesterol-lowering diet or who had received other advice or treatment from their physician for high cholesterol level. By analysis of variance, knowledge measures were found to have significant independent positive associations with higher social status (P < .001) and living in a suburban area (P < .05). Motivation and dietary health demonstrated similar relationships to social status. CONCLUSIONS: To make use of patients' motivation for change, it will be essential to provide education at an effective level. Instruction in label reading or creation of more meaningful food labels may have the greatest impact. A particular challenge is the education of less advantaged patients to promote healthy nutrition practices.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Knowledge and experience with Alzheimer's disease. Relationship to resuscitation preference.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that 20% to 67% of patients would desire cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) even if they had advanced Alzheimer's disease. These preferences were not affected by education about CPR. We hypothesized that CPR preferences in scenarios involving Alzheimer's disease are influenced more by knowledge of or experience with Alzheimer's disease than by knowledge of CPR and its outcomes. METHODS: We performed a random digit-dialing telephone survey of adult Kentuckians in June 1993. A total of 661 persons responded. We asked respondents whether they have had a friend or family member with Alzheimer's disease and whether they had cared for that person at home. We then assessed basic knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and CPR. We read to one half of respondents an educational paragraph describing CPR and its outcomes. Finally, we asked respondents their CPR preference if they were to develop Alzheimer's disease. RESULTS: Overall, 22% of respondents would probably or definitely want CPR if they had Alzheimer's disease. With the use of simultaneous multiple linear regression, predictors of refusing CPR in scenarios involving Alzheimer's disease included knowledge of or experience with Alzheimer's disease (P < .001), older age (P < .001), greater income (P < .004), female sex (P < .01), and nonwhite race (P < .04). Baseline knowledge of CPR did not affect CPR preferences, nor did being read the educational paragraph. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation preferences in scenarios involving Alzheimer's disease are strongly associated with knowledge of or experience with Alzheimer's disease more so than with knowledge of CPR. These findings suggest that in eliciting patients' CPR preferences in an advanced directive, care must be taken that patients understand the condition presented in the scenario (eg, Alzheimer's disease).

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Knowledge of periconceptional folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects. The missing links. Northeastern Ontario Primary Care Research Group.

BACKGROUND: Periconceptional folic acid supplementation is effective in preventing primary and secondary neural tube defects (NTDs) and other congenital defects. However, debate exists regarding the effectiveness of public and physician education on patient knowledge and compliance. OBJECTIVE: To examine the level of knowledge about the usefulness of periconceptional folic acid supplementation in a sample of patients from primary care practices. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. A confidential, anonymous questionnaire was completed by patients before physician encounters. A maximum of 20 consecutive female patients from each of 3 age groups (16-24, 25-32, and 33-40 years) were recruited from each primary care practice. SETTINGS: Twenty-two Canadian teaching practices affiliated with the Northeastern Ontario Primary Care Research Group. OUTCOME: Women's knowledge of periconceptional folic acid supplementation for the prevention of NTDs. RESULTS: Of 1125 eligible female patients between the ages of 16 and 40 years visiting their family physician in 1996, 1124 (99.9%) completed the questionnaire. General awareness of NTDs was high (62.7%); however, knowledge that these defects were preventable was lower (22.5%). Only 7.8% of the women made the association between folic acid intake and NTDs. The specific knowledge that NTDs could be prevented with folic acid supplementation before conception was identified by 1.8% of the sample. Pregnant participants were at least twice as likely to be informed about the link. Interpractice variability existed with respect to knowledge of folic acid supplementation. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of periconceptional folic acid supplementation for the prevention of NTDs was low in this sample and is likely to be reflected in missed opportunities to prevent an important class of congenital malformations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Knowledge of heart attack symptoms in a population survey in the United States: The REACT Trial. Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Greater use of thrombolysis for patients with myocardial infarction has been limited by patient delay in seeking care for heart attack symptoms. Deficiencies in knowledge of symptoms may contribute to delay and could be a target for intervention. We sought to characterize symptom knowledge. METHODS: Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment is a community trial designed to reduce this delay. At baseline, a random-digit dialed survey was conducted among 1294 adult respondents in the 20 study communities. Two open-ended questions were asked about heart attack symptom knowledge. RESULTS: Chest pain or discomfort was reported as a symptom by 89.7% of respondents and was thought to be the most important symptom by 56.6%. Knowledge of arm pain or numbness (67.3%), shortness of breath (50.8%), sweating (21.3%), and other heart attack symptoms was less common. The median number of correct symptoms reported was 3 (of 11). In a multivariable-adjusted model, significantly higher mean numbers of correct symptoms were reported by non-Hispanic whites than by other racial or ethnic groups, by middle-aged persons than by older and younger persons, by persons with higher socioeconomic status than by those with lower, and by persons with previous experience with heart attack than by those without. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of chest pain as an important heart attack symptom is high and relatively uniform; however, knowledge of the complex constellation of heart attack symptoms is deficient in the US population, especially in low socioeconomic and racial or ethnic minority groups. Efforts to reduce delay in seeking medical care among persons with heart attack symptoms should address these deficiencies in knowledge.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

What do parents know about lead poisoning? The Chicago Lead Knowledge Test. Pediatric Practice Research Group.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the extent of parental knowledge about lead poisoning and its prevention and to determine characteristics associated with accurate lead knowledge. SETTING: Twenty-three pediatric practices and 1 family practice in Chicago, Ill, and its suburbs. METHODS: A 24-question test regarding lead poisoning and its prevention (Chicago Lead Knowledge Test) was developed based on lead specialists' review and parental test-retest reliability. One point was assigned for each correct response. It was self-administered by a sample of 2225 parents of 0- to 6-year-old children visiting study practices. A 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the association of demographic descriptors with test scores. RESULTS: Respondents had a mean age of 33 years. Ninety percent were mothers, 49% were college graduates, and 80% were home owners. Fifteen percent lived in homes built before 1950, of which 36% were remodeled or renovated during the last 6 months. Respondents' youngest children were 80% white, 10% Hispanic, 5% African American, and 5% other. Ten percent received Medicaid and 86% had other medical insurance. Thirty-four percent recalled receipt of lead information from a health care provider, and 2.4% had had a child with a blood lead level of 0.48 micromol/L (10 microg/dL) or higher. The mean Chicago Lead Knowledge Test score was 12.2 (SD, 3.7). Questions related to lead exposure were more often answered correctly than those related to prevention and diet. In the ANOVA model, those who recalled receipt of lead information from a health care provider, college graduates, respondents aged 30 years or older, Hispanic respondents, and those living in homes built before 1950 had higher scores (all ANOVA P< or =.001). CONCLUSIONS: Parents do not have much knowledge of ways to prevent childhood lead poisoning. Information from a health care provider can aid parental knowledge. The Chicago Lead Knowledge Test is a new self-administered tool to help evaluate lead education programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Quality of life, social support, and knowledge of disease in women with rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationships between the quality of life (QOL) of women with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and 1). their perceived levels of social support and 2). their primary caregivers' knowledge of RA and its treatment. METHODS: Women aged 40-60 years with established RA completed validated questionnaires on health status (Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2) and satisfaction with the levels of social support from their primary caregiver (Significant Others Scale A). In addition, both the caregivers and patients independently completed questionnaires that were designed to elicit knowledge of RA and its treatment. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients and their primary caregivers completed the questionnaires. Analysis of the patients' health status demonstrated widespread biopsychosocial impairments. Arthritis pain, identified as the poorest health status dimension, was associated with the lowest levels of satisfaction, and received the highest priority for health status improvement. In contrast, the patients reported highest levels of satisfaction with social support from family and friends. Positive associations between social support variables and a number of QOL measures were observed. Both the caregivers and the patients displayed limited knowledge of RA and its treatment. Associations between the levels of knowledge and the patients' QOL measures were not observed. CONCLUSION: In this study of women with RA and their caregivers, a limited knowledge of disease did not appear to impact QOL measures. However, failure to detect an association between knowledge of disease and QOL may have been influenced by a combination of the relatively small study numbers and insufficient variation in caregivers' knowledge, such that a floor effect existed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

A guide to knowledge translation theory.

Despite calls over several decades for theory development, there remains no overarching knowledge-translation theory. However, a range of models and theoretical perspectives focused on narrower and related areas have been available for some time. We provide an overview of selected perspectives that we believe are particularly useful for developing testable and useful knowledge-translation interventions. In addition, we discuss adjuvant theories necessary to complement these perspectives. We draw from organizational innovation, health, and social sciences literature to illustrate the similarities and differences of various theoretical perspectives related to the knowledge-translation field.A variety of theoretical perspectives useful to knowledge translation exist. They are often spread across disciplinary boundaries, making them difficult to locate and use. Poor definitional clarity, discipline-specific terminology, and implicit assumptions often hinder the use of complementary perspectives. Health care environments are complex, and assessing the setting prior to selecting a theory should be the first step in knowledge-translation initiatives. Finding a fit between setting (context) and theory is important for knowledge-translation initiatives to succeed. Because one theory will not fit all contexts, it is helpful to understand and use several different theories. Although there are often barriers associated with combining theories from different disciplines, such obstacles can be overcome, and to do so will increase the likelihood that knowledge-translation initiatives will succeed.

Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice↗
PubMed1993

Sexual knowledge among Norwegian adolescents.

Sexual knowledge among Norwegian adolescents was studied. The data stemmed from a nationwide postal survey of 3000 Norwegian adolescents aged 17-19 years, yielding a response rate of 62.8%. Information on 16 sexual knowledge items was collected. The results showed considerable knowledge gaps among adolescents on sexual physiology and anatomy, sexually transmitted diseases, and fecundation/contraception. The level of sexual knowledge was higher among girls than boys, and increased with increasing age. Furthermore, sexual knowledge was positively associated with educational plans, frequency of discussing sex with friends, and experience of sexual intercourse. Sexual knowledge did not predict contraception use, when the effects of other independent variables were controlled for. The results of the study clearly demonstrate the need for further information and education efforts to increase sexual knowledge among adolescents. The potential adequacy of efforts which both activate and increase the quality of peer communication on sexual issues is addressed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Does the subjective evaluation of medical student surgical knowledge correlate with written and oral exam performance?

BACKGROUND: Medical student performance evaluations have historically contained a significant subjective component. Multiple tools are used to assess fund of knowledge including subjective evaluation by faculty and residents as well as objective evaluations through standardized written and oral exams. We hypothesized that subjective evaluation of medical student knowledge would correlate with objective evaluation through written and oral exams. METHODS: Records of consecutive medical students assigned to the surgery clerkship from January 1999 and March 2001 were reviewed. The core surgical rotation consisted of two 4-week blocks on a private, county, or VA hospital service. Surgical knowledge was assessed subjectively by both faculty (FES) and senior residents (RES) using a 10-point scale with verbal anchors. Objective measures of student surgical knowledge included the National Board shelf exam (WE) and a semistructured oral exam (OE). Data are reported as mean +/- SEM. Spearman rank correlation coefficient (r) was used to assess relationships between groups (r > or = 0.5 --> positive correlation). RESULTS: A total of 354 students were evaluated. The mean FES was 7.8 +/- 0.05 (median = 7.75, range 4.75 to 9.75). The mean RES was 7.7 +/- 0.06 (median = 8.0, range 3.5 to 10.0). There was poor correlation between the subjective perception and objective measures of surgical knowledge (Table 1). Comparison of the FES and RES also showed poor correlation (r = 0.38). CONCLUSIONS: Subjective evaluation of surgical knowledge by faculty and residents correlates poorly with performance measured objectively. These results question whether subjective evaluation of surgical knowledge should be included as part of the evaluation process.

Educational Measurement↗
PubMed2001

Impact of educational intervention on knowledge of mothers regarding home management of diarrhoea.

A pre and post comparison study was carried out in the field practice area of M.S. Ramaiah Medical College Bangalore, Karnataka to assess the impact of educational intervention on the knowledge of mothers of under five children on home management of diarrhoeal diseases. Sample of 225 mothers were included in the study. The study was conducted in 3 stages. Stage I--initial knowledge, attitude and practice of mothers was assessed. Stage II--one to one educational intervention was conducted and supported by audiovisual aids and live demonstration. Stage III--included post intervention knowledge, attitude and practice after 2 months and 2 years. After the educational intervention, there was significant improvement on knowledge of mothers regarding definition of diarrhoea (P < 0.001), signs of dehydration (P < 0.001), awareness of ORS solution (P < 0.001), correct preparation of ORS solution (P < 0.001), shelf-life of ORS solution (P < 0.001), seeking health care (P < 0.001) and rational drug therapy during diarrhoea (P < 0.001). McNemar test was used to find out the change in knowledge before and after the educational intervention. The overall knowledge scores improved significantly after 2 months (P < 0.001) as well as 2 years (P < 0.001) of the educational intervention. Though the proportion of mothers retaining the knowledge at the end of 2 years dropped, yet there was significant improvement (P < 0.001) when compared to the baseline study.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Patients' knowledge of perioperative care.

BACKGROUND: Patient knowledge of perioperative care, particularly the role of the anaesthetist, appears limited. AIM: This study investigated patients' knowledge of common medical terms, of their surgical care, of the role of the anaesthetist, and their preoperative fears and concerns about postoperative pain. We examined the changes in their knowledge base as a result of the pre-anaesthetic visit and their inpatient stay. METHODS: Three hundred patients were surveyed on three separate occasions, before a routine pre-anaesthetic visit, two to three hours after this visit and on the day of discharge from hospital. RESULTS: Patients' knowledge of medical terms, their surgical procedure, and the role of the anaesthetist in their perioperative care were limited. There was little change following either the pre-anaesthetic visit or postoperative convalescence. Misconceptions, about such issues as postoperative pain, appeared to increase by the end of their hospital stay. Male patients, older patients and patients in lower socio-economic groups had poorer knowledge. A significant proportion of patients remained unaware that the anaesthetist was medically qualified. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' knowledge of perioperative care is limited, with very little change during hospital stay. Novel educational approaches may be required to increase basic medical knowledge.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed2001

Integrating local and scientific knowledge: an example in fisheries science.

Attempting to predict the spatial dynamics fish stocks, as required for management, is an ominous task given our incomplete understanding of biological and ecological mechanisms underpinning behavioral responses of fish. Large gaps still exist in our basic scientific knowledge. Nonetheless, the knowledge of fishers and fishery managers is not incorporated into our scientific analyses, even though such information is rich in observation since knowledge of fish behavior and distribution is a prerequisite for their profession. Combining such observations with more conventional scientific studies and theoretical interpretations provides a means by which we may bridge some gaps in our knowledge. Presented here is an example of how both local and scientific knowledge can be integrated in a heuristic model. The model, CLUPEX, is developed in the framework of a fuzzy logic expert system and uses linguistic statements written in natural language to capture and combine knowledge sources in the form of IF... THEN rules. The rules are inferred from interviews with experts and fishery professionals including fishers, fishery managers, scientists, and First Nations people. The knowledge base, comprised of the set of rules, is flexible in the sense that it can easily be modified to add additional information or change current information. Using input pertaining to biotic and abiotic environmental conditions, CLUPEX uses the rules to provide quantitative and qualitative predictions on the structure, dynamics and mesoscale distribution of shoals of migratory adult herring during different life stages of their annual life cycle.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

A combined park management framework based on regulatory and behavioral strategies: use of visitors' knowledge to assess effectiveness.

In light of the increasing mandate for greater efficiency in conservation of natural reserves such as national parks, the present study suggests educational approaches as a tool to achieve conservation purposes. Currently, the management of human-wildlife interactions is dominated by regulatory strategies, but considerable potential exists for environmental education to enhance knowledge in the short run and to prompt attitude change in the long run. A framework for conservation based on both traditional regulatory- and behavior-oriented strategies was proposed whereby the level of knowledge that park visitors have acquired comprises an obvious outcome and establishes a basis upon which the effectiveness of regulatory- and behavior-based regimes could be assessed. The perceptions regarding park-related issues of two distinct visitor groups (locals and nonlocals) are summarized from a survey undertaken in Vikos-Aoos national park. The findings suggest a superficial knowledge for certain concepts but little profound understanding of the content of such concepts, indicating that knowledge-raising efforts should go a long way towards establishing a positive attitude for the resource. Visitors' poor knowledge of the park's operation regulation contest the efficiency of the presently dominant regulatory management regime. While geographical distances did not appear to significantly differentiate knowledge between the two groups, wilderness experience (as certified by visits to other parks) was proved to be an impetus for generating substantial learner interest in critical park issues among nonlocal visitors. School education and media were found to be significant knowledge providers.

Behavior↗
PubMed2000

Adolescents' drug use and drug knowledge.

UNLABELLED: Self-medication is a common event. To use drugs correctly, a basic knowledge about drugs is required. Poor data are available about adults' drug knowledge. Furthermore, adolescents' basic drug knowledge has not been investigated. This study was designed in order to explore adolescents' drug use and knowledge and the factors that influence them. A total of 56 tenth grade students between 15-17 years of age at a secondary school in Dresden, Germany were enrolled in a pilot study by answering a self-completion questionnaire. Of adolescents, 57% took from one to six different drugs in the 2 weeks before questioning. In particular, a chronic consumption of non-opioid analgesics was found. Some 15% of adolescents took headache remedies at least several times per month. Self-acquisition occurred more often for these drugs than for any other drug group. The best score for drug knowledge was 10 out of 13 possible points and only 43% of students attained from 7 to 10 points. Astonishingly, more than two-thirds of adolescents could not describe in their own words how a medicinal agent is ingested. Female gender and a chronic drug consumption were detected as influencing factors of better drug knowledge. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that adolescents gain drug knowledge through drug consumption and not before taking drugs. This leads to a potential risk particularly in the case of self-medication.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Factors affecting adult knowledge of diabetes in Narlidere Health District, Turkey.

The objective was to determine the level of knowledge on diabetes in an adult population in Turkey. In this cross-sectional study, 524 people aged over 30 were selected from the population of Narlidere Health District, Izmir, Turkey. A questionnaire was performed to determine sociodemographic characteristics and knowledge of diabetes. Each item on the questionnaire was given a score with a possible final total of 100 points. Knowledge level was evaluated in the whole group, DM-positive and -negative groups. "DM-positive" group refers to respondents who either have diabetes themselves or whose relatives have it. "DM-negative" group refers to respondents who do not have diabetes themselves and whose relatives do not. In total, 479 people were included in the study (response rate=87.6%). The mean age of the study group was 50.2+/-12.8 and 61% of them were women. Mean diabetes knowledge scores were 62.9+/-17.9 for the study group, 68.3+/-16.1 for the "DM-positive" group and 60.6+/-18.2 for the "DM-negative" group. The "DM-negative" group had a significantly lower mean score than the other two groups. Overall, diabetes knowledge was higher in participants with diabetes or who had a relative with diabetes, who were educated for more than 5 years and who had health insurance. The diabetes knowledge of the study group was not satisfactory. Diabetics and people who have relatives with diabetes had a higher knowledge level than the population without diabetes. Detailed information regarding diabetes should be provided to not only diabetics, but also the population as a whole.

Adult↗