Diabetes Knowledge Among Adults with Serious Mental Illness and Comorbid Diabetes Mellitus.
Thomas L Wykes, Aaron A Lee, Katelynn Bourassa and 2 others
PMID 28359432WHAT IT FOUND
Adults with serious mental illness and diabetes averaged 56.3% correct on diabetes knowledge.
Prior education, fewer negative symptoms, and better cognition predicted higher knowledge. Knowledge did not track A1C.
Key findings
01Diabetes knowledge was poor overall, averaging 56.3% correct; only 23.3% correctly identified the A1C time window, and only 33.3% said diet soda should not treat low blood glucose.
02Prior diabetes education and better cognitive functioning predicted higher diabetes knowledge in the full model.
03Diabetes knowledge did not track A1C, even though average A1C was 7.0.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot show that diabetes education, symptoms, or cognition caused better knowledge or control. Participants came from people interested in a healthy lifestyle intervention, so they may have been more motivated or knowledgeable than adults with serious mental illness and diabetes who are not seeking health programs. Prior diabetes education was self-reported and could not be checked for how much education was received or its quality. The sample was 90 adults from community mental health settings, and A1C data were missing for one participant, so results may not apply to all adults with serious mental illness and diabetes. The analysis did not test a diabetes education method, so it does not show that repeating messages or hands-on teaching improves knowledge or A1C.
Declared interests
The supplied text does not include an author conflict-of-interest statement. The publication types list NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that teaching diabetes facts will lower A1C. Knowledge did not track A1C, and the study did not test an education intervention.