Impact of Health Education Programme on Knowledge Regarding Prevention of Complications of Diabetic Mellitus among Diabetes Veterans at Selected Old Age Home of Baroda

Introduction: According to WHO (1994) Diabetes Mellitus is characterised by hyperglycaemia and disturbance of the carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism that is associated with the absolute or relative deficiencies of insulin action or secretion. India has now been declared by WHO as the diabetes capital of the world. The choice of treatment and complaints is important for the metabolic control to be achieved by the diabetic patients. While diet, exercise and oral drugs are useful in controlling diabetes in many patients, it is now recognized that a large number of Type 2 diabetic patients require insulin therapy. The number of adults with diabetes in the world will rise from 135 million in 1995 to 300 million in the year 2025. The major part of this numerical increase will occur in developing countries.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the level of knowledge on prevention of complications of diabetic mellitus, evaluate the effectiveness of health education program in terms of gain in knowledge score among diabetes veterans, and find an association between level of pre test knowledge of diabetes veterans with their selected demographic variables.

Materials and methods: An evaluative research approach with pre-experimental one group pre-test and posttest design was used. 40 samples were collected by using convenient method from jalaram seva trust and community old age home care. Tool consisted of 6 demographical variables and 30 structured questioners was administered before and after HEP. The reliability of the tool was established by using test retest method. Data was analzed using inferential and descriptive statistics.

Result: Paired sample t-test revealed that the mean posttest knowledge score regarding prevention of complications of DM was significantly higher (24.23 ± 3.69) than that of mean pretest knowledge score (15.63 ± 3.91) (P< 0.05). Computed T value 12.908 is higher than table value t99 at P< 0.05. Hence hypothesis is accepted and thus shows that HEP was highly effective in increasing knowledge of prevention of complications of DM among Diabetes veterans.

Conclusion: The study finding revealed that health education programme was highly effective in improving knowledge of prevention of complications of DM in Diabetes veterans.