Effects of an education program on knowledge and self-perception of school personnel in preparing to care for type 1 diabetes students

OBJECTIVE: To assess the academic and professional background of school personnel; to assess the impact of the Diabetes + Support given by School Personnel to Children with Type 1 Diabetes Program on the school personnel’s knowledge and confidence to support students with type 1 diabetes; to compare their level of knowledge with the academic and professional variables of the school personnel. METHODS: A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test study design without a Control Group. Study with a sample of 129 (before intervention – T0) and 113 (after intervention – T1) pre-school to secondary school personnel from participating schools, with at least one student with type 1 diabetes. The project was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Portuguese Ministry of Education. RESULTS: Most school personnel included in the study were teachers (51.2%). After training, they were more confident than before to support children with type 1 diabetes (p<0.05). Regarding knowledge levels, the differences between T0 (10.8±2.8; P (50) =11) and T1 (13.7±2.1; P (50) =11) were statistically significant (p<0.001). Of the 113 school personnel who participated in the final assessment, 89 (78.85%) increased their level of knowledge. CONCLUSION: The program was effective to enhance knowledge and boost confidence to support students with diabetes.