Awareness about diabetes mellitus among adolescents age group in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia

Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the global health problems that has been dramatically increase especially in developing countries and Saudi Arabia represents one of the highest rate country in the world incidence of the diabetes. Improving knowledge and awareness about life style, methods of prevention and management will help to decrease the incidence of developing DM and its complications. Aim of the work: This study aimed to determine, the level of awareness and knowledge regarding the type 2 diabetes and its complications. Method: An observational cross sectional study was performed on 787 adolescent participants through online-administrated structured questionnaire about the knowledge of risks and complications of DM applied online in a Google form. Results: Among 787 participants interviewed, 410 (52.1%) were males and 377 (47.9%) were females. The mean (SD) age of participants was 17(1.50) years with more than half of them being males, (52.1%). Most of the participants (69%) were from government school and 18% of them had a family history of diabetes. Overall, correct knowledge was lowest for diabetes complications (29.32), it was lower for risk factors (34.0%) and symptoms for diabetes (36.13%). Less than 14% of them were able to respond correctly to diabetes is a condition of not enough insulin in blood. 18.2 % of the participants had family history of diabetes. According to overall scoring of knowledge section, 47% of the respondents had poor/no knowledge regarding various aspects of diabetes mellitus, 38.3% of respondents had fair knowledge while only (14.8%) had good knowledge. Conclusion: Students were less knowledgeable in exercise and dietary management issues but not in symptoms and complications of diabetes. Thus, education in diabetes is needed in order to make individuals more aware of the illness and take preventive measures.