Evaluation of Jamaican Knowledge of Diabetes and Health Beliefs

Purpose:  To (1) evaluate rural Jamaican patients’ diabetes-related knowledge and health beliefs, (2) determine the association between diabetes-related knowledge and health beliefs, and (3) identify diabetes-related educational needs in rural Jamaica. 

Methods: Patients with diabetes were asked to voluntarily participate during a medical mission trip to the St. Elizabeth Province of Jamaica.  Participants were asked to verbally complete the Spoken Knowledge in Diabetes Survey (SKILLD, 10 items) and Diabetes Health Beliefs Model Scale (DHBM, 11 items), as well as a demographics survey.  Analyses were performed in SPSS v. 19.0.  Frequencies were utilized for categorical variables, means for continuous, and medians for individual HBM items.  Spearman or Pearson correlations were utilized to assess associations.

Results: Participants (N=48) were mostly female (66.7%) and had completed primary school (60.4%).  The average diabetes-related knowledge of participants was 3.8±2.3 (38% correct), with an average score of 38.3±5.6 (maximum score=55, higher scores = readiness to take action) on the DHBM survey. There were no significant associations between participant knowledge and health beliefs or between health beliefs and any demographic variable.  There was a statistically-significant, positive association between educational attainment and diabetes knowledge (r=0.32, p=0.03).  Less than 50% of participants answered questions correctly regarding signs and symptoms of high/low blood glucose, foot/eye exams, fasting blood glucose levels, and long-term complications. Only 1 participant gave a correct answer regarding normal hemoglobin A1c levels. 

Conclusions: Among this population of rural Jamaican patients, general knowledge regarding diabetes remains low.  Although results of this study did not find an association between disease knowledge and health beliefs, results of the DHBM survey indicate a readiness to take action regarding their diabetes.  These results indicate a continued need to develop programs to provide diabetes-related education to patients living in rural Jamaica, as patients are ready to improve their management of diabetes.