Cureus. 2025 Jul 7;17(7):e87477. doi: 10.7759/cureus.87477. eCollection 2025 Jul.
ABSTRACT
Objective Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic, non-communicable disease that is becoming increasingly prevalent around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Patient education plays a critical role in promoting the self-care behaviours that are essential for glycemic control and preventing complications. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led educational intervention in improving diabetes knowledge in adults with T2DM, as measured by the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ-24). Materials and methods A quasi-experimental pre-post study was conducted at the Medical Care and Research Centre in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, from April to May 2025. Thirty adult patients with confirmed T2DM and no prior structured diabetes education participated in a three-session educational programme delivered by trained nurses. The DKQ-24 was administered before and after the intervention. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were used to analyse changes in total and domain-specific knowledge scores. A Shapiro-Wilk test confirmed normality, with a significance level of p < 0.05 applied. Results The mean DKQ-24 score increased significantly from 24.1 ± 5.8 to 26.4 ± 4.5 (p = 0.0039). Notable improvements were seen in items addressing misconceptions about special diets, wound care, and insulin production. The most significant knowledge gains occurred in the disease control and complications domain. Nine out of 24 items showed statistically significant improvement post-intervention. Conclusion A brief educational intervention led by nurses significantly improved patients’ knowledge of diabetes, particularly by dispelling persistent myths. These findings highlight the important role of nurses in therapeutic education and support the incorporation of structured educational programmes into clinical diabetes care.
PMID:40772189 | PMC:PMC12328039 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.87477
