Impact of a brief diabetes education on teachers' diabetes-related knowledge, attitude, and confidence: a...

The involvement of kindergarten and school teachers is crucial for ensuring safe diabetes management in educational settings for children with type 1 diabetes. This nonrandomized, school-based intervention study aims to assess the effectiveness of a one-hour diabetes education program, delivered either online or in person, on teachers' knowledge of diabetes, attitudes toward diabetes, and confidence in diabetes care.

A one-hour diabetes education session led by a diabetes educator included both theoretical and practical modules on managing type 1 diabetes. Participants completed the Diabetes Knowledge Test 2, the Diabetes Attitude Survey 3, the School Personnel Diabetes Attitude Scale, and the Confidence in Diabetes Care scale before, immediately after, and 1 month following the intervention. The session was delivered to 60 educators (24 in person, 36 online; mean age = 43.72 years, SD = 9.48; 56 female, 4 male). Participants were assigned to conditions based on availability rather than randomization.

The education program significantly improved diabetes knowledge among all participants, and this improvement was maintained at the one-month follow-up. Confidence in diabetes care also increased after the intervention; however, confidence declined at follow-up in the online group compared to the in-person group.

A brief, one-hour diabetes education session is enough to achieve lasting improvements in teachers' diabetes knowledge and confidence. In-person teaching seems more effective at maintaining confidence over time, though online education remains a practical option. Incorporating structured diabetes education into teacher training programs could help create safer, more supportive school environments for children with type 1 diabetes.