Assessment of knowledge and attitude of type 1 databets mellitus among primary and intermediate school staff in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

Background: Diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1D) is a metabolic disease. Those diagnosed with T1D, need special care, especially children, to prevent complication and provide proper care to T1D children, school staff they should have a high level of awareness and knowledge to deal with diabetic children because they are responsible for them in school. Evaluating awareness of T1D and the level of knowledge of school staff will help to increase awareness of dealing with diabetic children. To determine school staff's diabetes training needs and their ability to provide suitable care to their diabetic students, This study is aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and management practices related to T1D in children among intermediate and primary school staff in Al Ahsa. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among primary and intermediate school personnel in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia from October to November 2020. The data were collected by using an online questionnaire and a self-administered questionnaire for type 1 Diabetes mellitus used. Scientific Package of the Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS) was used to enter and analyze the data. Results: The sample size was 398; the general awareness level regarding T1D is good in (53.8%) participants. Only (25.6%) had a good level of awareness about complications associated with the disease while awareness of management practice regarding T1DM was good among (44.7%). Conclusion: In this study, the general knowledge about type 1 diabetes mellites present among the primary and intermediate schools staffs in Al Ahsa however, they had limited awareness regarding diabetes complications and management. Therefore, the study recommended the need for a training program to be created to increase the awareness of school staff about diabetes and how to manage or deal with students who have diabetes, especially in emergency cases.