Abstract

Morbidity and mortality associated with diabetes mellitus and its complication has been on the increase due to inadequate knowledge about management of diabetes mellitus and prevention of its complications among patients. The study assessed the effect of nursing intervention on knowledge about diabetes mellitus and prevention of its complications among diabetics attending two selected State Hospitals, Ogun State. This study adopted a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design. The population were 60 diabetics attending medical outpatient clinic in State Hospital Ijebu-Ode and 50 diabetics attending medical outpatient clinic in State Hospital, Ijaye. Sample size was determined using total enumeration method and 54 diabetics were utilized for experimental while 47 where used for control. The researcher-developed questionnaire that was utilized to collect data on knowledge about diabetes mellitus and prevention of its complication among diabetics for pre and post-intervention. Reliability of instrument was determined using Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient which was calculated to be 0.81. The training modules and checklist were also pre-tested and found suitable for the study. Data were processed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Four research questions were answered using descriptive statistics of mean, standard deviation and percentages. Findings revealedthat majority 29 (53.7%) of participants in the experimental group had low pre-intervention knowledge about diabetes mellitus while majority 22 (46.8%) in the control group had low knowledge.Majority 26 (48.2%) of participants in the experimental group had low pre-intervention knowledge about prevention of diabetes mellitus while majority 25 (53.2%)in the control group had low knowledge. Majority 29 (70.7%) of participants in the experimental group had high post-intervention knowledge about diabetes mellitus while majority 8 (43.2%) in the control group had low knowledge. Majority 26 (63.4%) of participants in the experimental group had post-intervention knowledge about prevention of diabetes mellitus while majority 19 (43.2%) in the control group had low knowledge. In conclusion, knowledge of diabetic mellitus and prevention of complication among diabetics can be improved as participants in the experimental group showed improved knowledge about diabetes mellitus and prevention of its complication at post-intervention. It was recommended that hospitals should regularly expose diabetics to training programmes on diabetes mellitus and prevention of its complication which would improve knowledge about diabetes mellitus and prevention of its complication among diabetics.