Knowledge about type 2 diabetes mellitus in women at different stages of the female life cycles

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the knowledge of women at different stages of the female life cycles regarding type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: this cross-sectional study was conducted with 46 women with type 2 diabetes. Data were collected using a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, a disease knowledge test, and anthropometric assessment. Knowledge about the disease was analyzed by calculating the mean ± standard‑ deviation of the total score for participants and for each life cycle. To compare knowledge across female life cycles, an independent samples t-test was conducted. Results: the mean knowledge score about the disease was 6.7 ± 2.3 points, with 56.5% of participants demonstrating limited knowledge. Key areas of lack included ketonuria, food substitution, and unawareness of the causes and management of hypoglycemia. Women in the climacteric/menopausal stage had a higher average knowledge score (7.5 ± 2.8) compared to those in the post‑menopausal stage (6.15 ± 1.8), though the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.056). Conclusion: women with type 2 diabetes showed limited knowledge about the disease regardless of cycle stage, which may impact disease management. Contributions to practice: the data are crucial for interventions and health education for women with diabetes, as well as for improving disease management.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• type 2; self-management; menopause; feeding behavior