Knowledge Attitudes and Sense of Self-Efficacy of Primary Education Teachers towards Students with Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus

INTRODUCTION: The positive attitude towards students with Diabetes Mellitus type 1(DM1) and the teacher’s knowledge seem to be important conditions both for the practical support of children with type 1 ED in primary education and for the self-efficacy of teachers in the school context. Self-efficacy involves the belief that a person has the ability to create change through personal actions. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the level of knowledge of Primary Education teachers about DM1, their attitudes towards students with insulin-dependent diabetes, as well as their levels of self-efficacy in the management of diabetes in the school environment. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study, where the sample consisted of 150 teachers working in Public Primary Schools of Athens, the capital of Greece. The following questionnaires were used to collect the data: (a) socio-demographic characteristics questionnaire, (b) primary education teachers’ knowledge and attitudes questionnaire about insulin-dependent diabetes, and (c) the generalized self-efficacy scale. RESULTS: 24.7% of participants were male and the mean age was 43.79 (±10.11). The average percentage of correct answers to the knowledge questionnaire was 86.00 (±9.01), also, the average score of perceptions about the role of the school nurse was 90.53 (±9.39), for the role of students with DM1 89.17 (±11.42), for the readiness of teachers/educational system to manage students with DM1 48.10 (±13.22), and of the self-efficacy was 30.71 (±13, 67). The questions with the lowest percentage of correct answers were: “What is the normal range of blood sugar values when we are fasting?” (62.70%) and “If you find a child with DM1 unconscious what should you do immediately?” (52.70%). The percentage of correct responses was found to have a positive statistically significant correlation with self-efficacy score (p=0.05), years of service (p=0.003), age (p=0.014), teachers who had at some point students with DM1 in their classroom versus those who did not (p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Experienced and qualified staff could effectively support students not only practically by assisting them with daily activities but also by creating an environment based on understanding and acceptance. DISCLOSURE OF INTEREST: None Declared