Predictors of Self-Assessed and Actual Knowledge about Diabetes among Nursing Students in Saudi Arabia

The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of self-assessed and actual knowledge of diabetes among undergraduate nursing students. Nursing education plays an important role in preparing future nurses and ensuring that they are knowledgeable and competent in diabetes care. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 330 undergraduate Saudi student nurses. We collected data from October to December 2019 using the Diabetes Self-report Tool (DSRT) and Diabetes Basic Knowledge Tool (DBKT). We performed a multiple regression analysis to identify the predictors of self-reported and actual knowledge of diabetes. The students’ overall mean (SD) scores in the DSRT and DBKT were 48.31 (5.71), which is equivalent to 80.52% of the total score and 22.54 (8.57), respectively. The students’ university, gender, year level and experience in providing direct care to diabetic patients were the significant predictors of self-reported knowledge, whereas their university, age and perceived diabetes knowledge were the significant predictors of actual diabetes knowledge. The findings underscore the necessity to improve student nurses’ actual knowledge of diabetes and its management. Our findings provide a solid basis for planning and implementing educational interventions with diabetes-related information to ensure adequate diabetes knowledge among nursing students.