Abstract

Objective: To determine diabetes patient's knowledge and beliefs about their disease and medications that could hinder optimal disease management.

Design and Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 151 type 2 diabetic patients characterizing diabetes knowledge and beliefs about their disease and medications.

Results: Mean diabetes duration was 13 years. Over half (56%) believed that normal glucose was 200mg/dL or less, 54% reported being able to feel when their sugar was high, 36% thought that would not always have diabetes, 29% thought their doctor would cure them of diabetes, one-in-four (23%) said there was no need to take their diabetes medicines when their glucose was normal and 12% believed they have diabetes only when their sugar is high.

Conclusion: Diabetes knowledge and beliefs inconsistent with a chronic disease model of diabetes were prevalent in this sample. Suboptimal knowledge and beliefs are potentially modifiable and are logical targets for educational interventions to improve diabetes self-management.