NARRATIVE REVIEW ON EFFECTIVENESS OF INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION TO IMPROVE KNOWLEDGE ELDERLY PEOPLE REGARDING DIABETES MELLITUS AND ITS PREVENTION

Abstract

INTRODUCTION:

The prevention of diabetes mellitus is a challenge for the  healthcare team. Prevention of diabetes is crucial to lowering disease incidence, and thus minimizing the individual, familial, and public health burden. It is highly important to know about the  awareness of the disease.

OBJECTIVE:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of  individualized education on knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus and its prevention among elderly people.
• To assess the knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus and its prevention among elderly people.

METHOD:

 Seven hundred and three village inhabitants, comprising of adults and youth 10-92 years of age were provided educational intervention using ‘ trained trainers’. Culturally and linguistically appropriate health education message addressed diet, physical activity and knowledge improvement. The prevalence of diabetes mellitus and the effectiveness of intervention were assessed using select parameters.

RESULT:

The crude prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes among was 5%  and 13% respectively, while pre-diabetes in youth 10-17 years of age was 5%. Intervention reduced fasting blood glucose levels of pre-diabetes adults by 11% pre-diabetes youth by 17% and among adults with type2 diabetes mellitus by25%. Improvements in obesity parameters and dietary intake also occurred. A step –wise worsening of parameters progressing from the normoglycemic state to the impaired levels of pre-diabetes and diabetes mellitus was observed.

CONCLUSION:

Educational intervention was successful in reducing some of the obesity parameters and improving dietary patterns of individuals with pre-diabetes and diabetes mellitus.