[An assessment of the knowledge of school teachers on type 1 diabetes mellitus.]

INTRODUCTION: Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. School children with diabetes may have special needs during their school attendance. Teachers are responsible for the safety of children at school, therefore, to safely manage a student with diabetes, especially in cases of emergency, they should be in possession of adequate informations and a good level of knowledge of the disease.
METHODS: 292 teachers from primary and secondary school in the province of Trapani completed a questionnaire designed to assess their knowledge of diabetes mellitus.
RESULTS: The level of knowledge about different aspects of diabetes among school teachers was extremely superficial. Teachers who had previous experiences with children with diabetes showed a much higher level of knowledge than those who did not. Only a small percentage of teachers stated that they had previously received specific training (10%) and only 3% of teachers considered their school as equipped to safely manage children with diabetes. DISCUSSION AND
CONCLUSIONS: Children with diabetes spend a considerable amount of their time at school and it is not unreasonable to expect their teachers to have a basic working knowledge of diabetes for a safe management of their schooling. This study shows a poor sensitivity of the school institution about diabetes and a very superficial level of knowledge of the different aspects of diabetes among school teachers. Specific training sessions for school personnel can represent a key factors in bringing children with diabetes to a full integration, so improving control of their glycaemic status as well as their quality of life.