Knowledge of diabetes and glaucoma in a rural North Carolina community

Effective use of time, money, and personnel in the delivery of health care services to rural areas requires baseline information on the target population with respect to the problem being addressed. Prior to the initiation of an educational program on diabetes and glaucoma, the Public Health Department of Davie County, North Carolina, conducted a survey of county residents to determine knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning these illnesses. The goals of the survey were to determine (1) basic knowledge with respect to the nature of each illness, symptoms, and high-risk groups, (2) the stigma attached to each illness, and (3) health practices in terms of previous tests for diabetes and glaucoma and whether or not the respondents know where to go for such tests. Information was obtained through a telephone survey of randomly sampled households in Davie County. Results of the survey indicated that the level of knowledge for both diabetes and glaucoma is particularly low with respect to identification of high-risk groups and symptoms, and approximately one-quarter of all respondents felt there was some stigma attached to diabetes and glaucoma. The lowest levels of knowledge were observed in the youngest and oldest respondents, males, the unmarried, and those with low levels of educational attainment. The differences in knowledge by age, marital status, and sex were found to be partially a function of differing levels of educational attainment. These data have provided information useful in the selection of content areas for the programs and in the identification of target populations for special emphasis.