Knowledge and attitude towards type 2 diabetes among older adults: A population-based study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with knowledge and attitude towards type 2 diabetes mellitus among older adults with the disease. A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted on 204 older adults from the public healthcare network of Passo Fundo, RS. Sociodemographic data were collected and the DKN-A, ATT-19 and IPAQ were used for the assessment of diabetes knowledge, psychological attitudes towards diabetes and physical activity, respectively. Logistic regression was applied to evaluate the association with sociodemographic and health variables and indicators of body adiposity. Crude and adjusted analyses were performed with a 95% confidence interval. The results showed that good knowledge is associated with age ≥ 70 years (OR = 0.44; 95%CI: 0.18-1.08), having a positive attitude towards diabetes treatment (OR = 8.9; 95%CI: 4.3-18.9), and being physically active (OR = 10.1; 95%CI: 6.34-20.1). In conclusion, good knowledge and a positive attitude towards diabetes are associated with age older than 70 years and being physically active.