Diabetes knowledge among older adults with diabetes in Beijing, China

Aims and objectives. To explore the relationships of demographic and clinical variables and attendance at diabetes educational programmes with diabetes knowledge among a community sample of older Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes residing in Beijing. Background. Knowledge of diabetes is an important component of diabetes self‐management. Level of education, duration of diabetes, visits to a dietician and diabetes self‐management are associated with diabetes knowledge. A few studies have examined these relationships in older Chinese with diabetes. Design. A descriptive correlational study. Methods. The study was conducted in face‐to‐face interviews with 108 older adults with type 2 diabetes and an average age of 68 (SD = 8·41) years residing in six residential apartment complexes in Beijing. Along with the assessment of diabetes knowledge and diabetes self‐management, assessments of glucose, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were obtained. Results. Age and systolic blood pressure were negatively associated with diabetes knowledge. Diabetes knowledge was not related to diabetes self‐care activities or glucose level. A regression model with age, education and clinical variables significantly predicted diabetes knowledge, explaining 29% of the variance in knowledge. Participants who had a family history of diabetes, visited traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors and ophthalmologists and attended diabetes educational programmes were more likely to have high scores on diabetes knowledge. Conclusions. Age, education, a family history of diabetes, visits to TCM providers and ophthalmologists and attending diabetes class are factors associated with increased levels of diabetes knowledge. Relevance to clinical practice. Healthcare providers need to provide age‐specific, low literacy and family‐focused diabetes education programmes and consider integrating principles and holistic perspectives of TCM in diabetes educational programmes for older Chinese with diabetes.