Comparing Diabetes Management Knowledge Among Nursing Home Nurses in Spain and Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study

Older adults with diabetes living in nursing homes require complex care. Nurses play a central role in this care, yet limited evidence exists comparing their diabetes-related knowledge across different countries. This study compares diabetes management knowledge among nursing home nurses in Cádiz, Spain, and Warsaw, Poland.

A cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted with 198 nurses in Cádiz and 57 nurses in Warsaw. The adapted 14-item Diabetes Management Knowledge Assessment Tool (DMKAT-14) was used to measure knowledge. Sociodemographic and professional variables were also collected. Independent t-tests, ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were used for analysis.

Mean DMKAT-14 scores were higher in Cádiz (7.47 ± 1.74) than in Warsaw (6.05 ± 0.79), though both were suboptimal. No significant differences in knowledge were found based on gender, postgraduate education, or diabetes-specific training. In Cádiz, no predictors were statistically significant. In Warsaw, age was the only significant predictor of higher knowledge scores (B = 0.057, p = 0.011).

Diabetes management knowledge among nursing home nurses in Spain and Poland shows room for improvement. Strengthening diabetes-specific training may help improve diabetes management in nursing homes across Europe.