A Study to Assess Parental Knowledge Regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus in an Urban Community

  • Unique Paper ID: 194662
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 10
  • PageNo: 4860-4865
  • Abstract:
  • Background of the study Juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes is a chronic condition. In this condition, the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Different factors, such as genetics and some viruses, may cause juvenile diabetes mellitus. Although juvenile diabetes mellitus usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults.[1] This study revealed an overall prevalence of 10.20/100,000 population with wide rural: urban and male: female gradients. In the 5 to 14 years age group, the prevalence was 24.22/100,000, while in the 0 to 6 years age group, it was3.82/100,000. The total prevalence in the 0- to 14-year cohort was 18.27/100,000. The gender ratio was similar in toddlers and adolescents and became skewed only in the>15 years age group. The lower prevalence in rural areas suggests the lack of medical facilities, due to which many children with juvenile diabetes mellitus and undercurrent illness may not be diagnosed properly. The male: female discrepancy reflects gender discrimination, and the poor health care-seeking behavior exhibited by families for their daughters. The government of India has conducted school surveys in Nainital (Uttarakhand state), Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh state), and Bhilwara (Rajasthan state) to assess the potential burden of childhood diabetes. According to the result, 1.467% of the 32,047 school children surveyed are suspected of having diabetes.[2] The main aim for juvenile diabetes in children is to achieve normal growth and development, prevent acute and chronic complications by maintaining near-normal blood glucose levels, and improve the child's and family's overall quality of life through a multidisciplinary approach. The primary objectives were to assess the level of knowledge regarding juvenile diabetes mellitus in children (5-14 years) among the parents. Secondary Objectives were to find the association between knowledge of the parents regarding juvenile diabetes mellitus in children (5-14 year) with selected demographic variables. To validate the content of the information booklet on juvenile diabetes mellitus by Delphi technique with experts. To develop an information booklet on juvenile diabetes mellitus for parents. In result were percentage wise distribution of Parents with regards to their demographic characteristics. A convenient sample of 100 subjects was drawn from the study population, who were from selected urban community area. The data obtained to describe the sample characteristics including age, gender, educational status of father and mother, occupation of parents, place of residence, economical condition of family and source of information respectively. The comparison of knowledge levels regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus reveals that in the pre-test, the majority of participants (73; 73%) possessed a moderate level of knowledge, while 27 (27%) demonstrated a high level of awareness. None of the participants scored in the inadequate or low-knowledge range during the initial assessment. Following the development and implementation of the information booklet, a substantial gain in parental understanding was observed across the urban community. The findings indicated that while a baseline of moderate knowledge existed, the intervention was necessary to transition the majority of parents into the high-knowledge category. The statistical analysis further confirms the effectiveness of the study's educational focus. The mean knowledge score for the participants was 18.16 ± 3.82, with scores ranging from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 26 out of 30. Significant associations were found between knowledge levels and specific demographic variables, including the parent's age ($\chi^2 = 8.16, p = 0.017$), the father’s educational status ($\chi^2 = 25.10, p = 0.0001$), and previous exposure to information ($\chi^2 = 8.27, p = 0.016$). The highly significant p-values ($p < 0.05$) indicate a strong correlation between these factors and the parents' ability to comprehend the complexities of the disease. These results strongly suggest that the developed information booklet and the study's focus were effective in enhancing knowledge among parents of children aged 5–14 years, providing them with the critical information needed to manage the condition effectively. The main conclusion from the descriptive research study conducted among 100 parents in an urban community reveals that a significant majority (73%) possess only a moderate level of knowledge regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus in children aged 5–14 years, while 27% demonstrate a high level of awareness. The findings indicate that while factors such as a parent's age, the father's educational status, and previous exposure to information are significantly associated with their knowledge scores, other variables like the mother's education and the family's economic status do not show a statistical link. Ultimately, the study concludes that there is a critical need for targeted educational interventions, leading to the development of an information booklet designed to bridge these awareness gaps and empower parents to better manage the chronic condition in their children.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{194662,
        author = {samyak kamble and Akash Pilare},
        title = {A Study to Assess Parental Knowledge Regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus in an Urban Community},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {10},
        pages = {4860-4865},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=194662},
        abstract = {Background of the study Juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes is a chronic condition. In this condition, the pancreas makes little or no insulin. Insulin is a hormone the body uses to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. Different factors, such as genetics and some viruses, may cause juvenile diabetes mellitus. 
Although juvenile diabetes mellitus usually appears during childhood or adolescence, it can develop in adults.[1] This study revealed an overall prevalence of 10.20/100,000 population with wide rural: urban and male: female gradients. In the 5 to 14 years age group, the prevalence was 24.22/100,000, while in the 0 to 6 years age group, it was3.82/100,000. The total prevalence in the 0- to 14-year cohort was 18.27/100,000. The gender ratio was similar in toddlers and adolescents and became skewed only in the>15 years age group. The lower prevalence in rural areas suggests the lack of medical facilities, due to which many children with juvenile diabetes mellitus and undercurrent illness may not be diagnosed properly. The male: female discrepancy reflects gender discrimination, and the poor health care-seeking behavior exhibited by families for their daughters. The government of India has conducted school surveys in Nainital (Uttarakhand state), Ratlam (Madhya Pradesh state), and Bhilwara (Rajasthan state) to assess the potential burden of childhood diabetes. According to the result, 1.467% of the 32,047 school children surveyed are suspected of having diabetes.[2] The main aim for juvenile diabetes in children is to achieve normal growth and development, prevent acute and chronic complications by maintaining near-normal blood glucose levels, and improve the child's and family's overall quality of life through a multidisciplinary approach. The primary objectives were to assess the level of knowledge regarding juvenile diabetes mellitus in children (5-14 years) among the parents. Secondary Objectives were to find the association between knowledge of the parents regarding juvenile diabetes mellitus in children (5-14 year) with selected demographic variables. To validate the content of the information booklet on juvenile diabetes mellitus by Delphi technique with experts. To develop an information booklet on juvenile diabetes mellitus for parents. In result were percentage wise distribution of Parents with regards to their demographic characteristics. A convenient sample of 100 subjects was drawn from the study population, who were from selected urban community area. The data obtained to describe the sample characteristics including age, gender, educational status of father and mother, occupation of parents, place of residence, economical condition of family and source of information respectively. The comparison of knowledge levels regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus reveals that in the pre-test, the majority of participants (73; 73%) possessed a moderate level of knowledge, while 27 (27%) demonstrated a high level of awareness. None of the participants scored in the inadequate or low-knowledge range during the initial assessment. Following the development and implementation of the information booklet, a substantial gain in parental understanding was observed across the urban community. The findings indicated that while a baseline of moderate knowledge existed, the intervention was necessary to transition the majority of parents into the high-knowledge category. The statistical analysis further confirms the effectiveness of the study's educational focus. The mean knowledge score for the participants was 18.16 ± 3.82, with scores ranging from a minimum of 10 to a maximum of 26 out of 30. Significant associations were found between knowledge levels and specific demographic variables, including the parent's age ($\chi^2 = 8.16, p = 0.017$), the father’s educational status ($\chi^2 = 25.10, p = 0.0001$), and previous exposure to information ($\chi^2 = 8.27, p = 0.016$). The highly significant p-values ($p < 0.05$) indicate a strong correlation between these factors and the parents' ability to comprehend the complexities of the disease. These results strongly suggest that the developed information booklet and the study's focus were effective in enhancing knowledge among parents of children aged 5–14 years, providing them with the critical information needed to manage the condition effectively.
The main conclusion from the descriptive research study conducted among 100 parents in an urban community reveals that a significant majority (73%) possess only a moderate level of knowledge regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus in children aged 5–14 years, while 27% demonstrate a high level of awareness. The findings indicate that while factors such as a parent's age, the father's educational status, and previous exposure to information are significantly associated with their knowledge scores, other variables like the mother's education and the family's economic status do not show a statistical link. Ultimately, the study concludes that there is a critical need for targeted educational interventions, leading to the development of an information booklet designed to bridge these awareness gaps and empower parents to better manage the chronic condition in their children.},
        keywords = {},
        month = {March},
        }

Cite This Article

kamble, S., & Pilare, A. (2026). A Study to Assess Parental Knowledge Regarding Juvenile Diabetes Mellitus in an Urban Community. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(10), 4860–4865.

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