Amani Busili

Abstract

Diabetes is a prevalent global health issue that can be diagnosed and managed in primary health care (PHC). Nurses are the largest number of health care providers who work with diabetic patients to manage its complications. One of the significant diabetes management components is nutrition. This study aimed to: (1) investigate PHC nurses’ level of diabetes-related nutrition knowledge; (2) assess PHC nurses’ perception about knowledgeability and role in the provision of diabetes nutrition education; (3) explore the relationship between nurses’ diabetes-related nutrition knowledge with nurses’ background and organizational support. A descriptive cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted on 163 PHC nurses in Jazan, Saudi Arabia. A self-administered survey was used for each nurse two times for test-retest reliability. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and correlational tests. Nurses had limited diabetes-related nutritional knowledge with a mean score of 11.65 out of 20, but the majority perceived themselves as competent and responsible in providing nutrition education to diabetic patients. The availability of time to attend courses and study on diabetic nutrition, and being informed about the time and venue programmers of diabetes diet were positively correlated with nurses’ diabetes-related nutritional knowledge. The study highlighted the need to improve the education of PHC nurses in the field of diabetes nutrition, in particular, the majority of PHC nurses regarded themselves as responsible for the nutrition education of diabetic patients. As well, organizational factors, such as availability of time and support, should be considered to enhance nurses’ knowledge.