The Association Between Informal Caregiver Knowledge about Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Patients’ HbA1C Level among a Saudi Arabian Cohort

Abstract

Background: Almost seven million persons in Saudi Arabia are diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Lack of knowledge regarding T2DM among Saudi caregivers may impact T2DM management and disease outcomes, yet established educational programs for their caregivers are scant. There is a need to discover T2DM informal caregivers’ knowledge and its relation to patients' T2DM management, prior to designing educational interventions. Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative, correlational study was to measure disease knowledge among informal caregivers for patients with T2DM in Saudi Arabia, and to compare findings to the patient-health status presented by HbA1C level. This study was conceptualized within nursing caring science, using Nursing as Caring Theory (Boykin & Schoenhofer, 2001), and the Individual and Family Self-Management Theory (Ryan & Sawin, 2009). Method: Convenience sampling of 37 dyads (N = 74) from primary health centers in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia was employed. Self-reported HbA1C, and the Brief Diabetes Knowledge Test (Fitzgerald et al., 1998) were used to collect the data, which were analyzed using Pearson’s correlations and multiple linear regression. Result: The average DM knowledge score was low at 8.03 (Average Knowledge). There was no correlation between T2DM knowledge level and HbA1C. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that only informal caregiver age between 31-45 and employment as a student had a positive effect in predicting DM knowledge. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that more investigation is needed, including qualitative inquiry, to determine how informal caregivers gain knowledge regarding T2DM management, and how that knowledge may impact Hb1Ac levels.