An Analysis into Metacognition and Family History of Diabetes Mellitus among First Year Medical Students

Medical course requires immense effort by the students to deal with vast curriculum and hence, the need to adopt metacognitive skill to cope up. Diabetes mellitus has an impact on cognition. Metacognition, being a component of cognition, is likely to be affected by diabetes. Children of diabetic parents have demonstrated insulin resistance which may contribute to metacognitive dysfunction. Hence, it is important to focus into the link between family history of diabetes and metacognition.

To evaluate the impact of family history (parents and grandparents) of diabetes mellitus on metacognition in medical students.

The present study was a questionnaire based cross-sectional study. Hundred first year medical students were recruited and they filled the Metacognitive Awareness (MA) questionnaire along with the details of the family history of diabetes. The metacognitive awareness questionnaire evaluated MA, its components (metacognitive knowledge and regulation) and their subcomponents. Positive history of diabetes in parents and grandparents were taken into account. The participants were then divided into two groups: with family history of diabetes (n=73) and without family history of diabetes (n=27). The metacognitive awareness and its subcomponents between the two groups were analysed using Student t-test between the groups (with and without family history). Pearson correlation was done to analyse the association between metacognition and family history of diabetes.

Metacognitive knowledge (global score) was significantly lower in group with family history of diabetes (10.25±3.01 vs 12.04±3.2, p-value<0.05) as was metacognitive regulation global score (7.08±1.83 vs 7.99±1.36, p-value<0.05). Declarative knowledge and information management showed significant difference. Metacognitive knowledge showed a significant negative correlation with family history of diabetes (correlation coefficient = -0.263, p-value<0.01).

Students with family history of diabetes had reduced metacognitive awareness. The awareness that metacognitive dysfunction can occur in early age in individuals with family history of diabetes would help us to identify them and device strategies to delay or prevent metacognitive dysfunction.