A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge Regarding Diabetes Mellitus among the Residents of Selected Rural Community, Gurdaspur, Punjab

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is the metabolic disease characterized by increased the level of glucose in the blood resulting from defect in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Diabetes mellitus is the most prevalence disease in the world now a days. Diabetes mellitus is a silent disease and is now recognized as one of the fastest growing threats to public health in almost all countries of the world. Every 5^th person who suffer from diabetes mellitus in the world today is an Indian. The world health organization health report (1998) quotes that in India diabetes directly causes approximately 38, 000 deaths per year and may contribute to as many as 300, 000 deaths annually.

Objectives: To assess the level knowledge of selected community residents regarding diabetes mellitus. To determine the association of level of knowledge of the selected community residents regarding diabetes mellitus with selected demographic variables. To prepare and distribute the pamphlets regarding prevention of diabetes mellitus. Methods: A Non-Experimental, Quantitative Research Approach And Univariant Descriptive Research design was used in present study to assess the knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus among selected rural community residents. A self structured checklist was used to assess the knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus and convenience sampling was used. Results: The result of present study revealed that out of 100 community people, 90% have average knowledge, 9% have good knowledge and only 1% have poor knowledge. The mean score of good level of knowledge was 21.77 with standard deviation ±0.56, the mean score of average knowledge was 16.97 with standard deviation ±0.35 and mean score of poor level of knowledge was 10 with standard deviation 0. The association between the level of knowledge regarding Diabetes Mellitus of residents of selected rural community with their demographic variables. The result revealed that there was a significant association found with the age, education, and occupation at the level of significance <0.05 and there was no significant association found between the level of knowledge and their Gender, Type of Family, Presence of Disease, Duration of Disease, Type of Medication and Source of Information. Interpretation And Conclusion: The analysis of the data regarding the assessment level of the knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus among the residents of community. The result of present study revealed that out of 100 community people, 90% have average knowledge, 9% have good knowledge and only 1% have poor knowledge.