"Perception, Knowledge, and Attitudes of Educational Staff Regarding the Care of Children With Type 1 Diabetes: Evaluation of the Educational Program"

NCT ID: NCT07148076

Last Updated: 2025-09-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 100 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2024-10-01
• Study Completion Date: 2025-10-01

Brief Summary

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune disease that requires continuous monitoring and regulation of glycemia. Children with type 1 diabetes face challenges that can disrupt their daily routines in school and kindergarten. This includes the need for self-monitoring, continuous blood sugar measurement, insulin administration, proper nutrition, regular physical activity, and timely interventions in cases of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. Therefore, children with diabetes often require support from educational staff, including teachers, preschool educators, and other professional personnel while attending educational institutions.

A safe and supportive (pre)school environment is crucial for maintaining the health and well-being of children with type 1 diabetes. Teachers and preschool educators, as key actors in the daily (pre)school life of the child, play an important role in recognizing disease symptoms and managing emergencies. However, research shows that many teachers lack sufficient knowledge about the symptoms of diabetes and the necessary procedures in emergencies, which can endanger the health and safety of the child, as well as their equal participation in educational activities.

Conditions

Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: NON_RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Intervention Group - Education Program

Participants in the intervention group completed a baseline questionnaire assessing perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes about type 1 diabetes care. They then participated in an educational program specifically designed to improve these aspects. Immediately following the education, participants completed a second questionnaire. A third questionnaire was administered 3 months after the intervention to assess retention of knowledge and changes in attitudes and perceptions.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Education Program

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

This intervention consists of a structured educational program specifically designed for educational staff in primary schools and kindergartens, focusing on the care of children with type 1 diabetes. The program includes interactive lectures, practical workshops, and case studies covering diabetes management, symptom recognition, emergency procedures, and day-to-day support for children with type 1 diabetes in educational settings. Unlike standard informational sessions or general health education, this intervention is tailored to address the unique challenges and responsibilities faced by school and kindergarten staff. The program is delivered in-person by certified diabetes educators and includes pre- and post-training assessments to measure changes in knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes. Participants are tracked using unique codes to allow for longitudinal comparison of results before, immediately after, and three months following the intervention.

Control Group - No Intervention

Participants in the control group did not receive any educational program or intervention. They completed the same questionnaire as the intervention group at baseline and again 3 months later. This allowed for comparison of changes in perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes about type 1 diabetes care without exposure to the educational intervention.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Education Program

This intervention consists of a structured educational program specifically designed for educational staff in primary schools and kindergartens, focusing on the care of children with type 1 diabetes. The program includes interactive lectures, practical workshops, and case studies covering diabetes management, symptom recognition, emergency procedures, and day-to-day support for children with type 1 diabetes in educational settings. Unlike standard informational sessions or general health education, this intervention is tailored to address the unique challenges and responsibilities faced by school and kindergarten staff. The program is delivered in-person by certified diabetes educators and includes pre- and post-training assessments to measure changes in knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes. Participants are tracked using unique codes to allow for longitudinal comparison of results before, immediately after, and three months following the intervention.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Educational staff employed in primary schools and/or kindergartens within the study area
• Individuals willing to participate who have provided informed consent
• Participants available for all planned assessments during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria

• Educational staff who have type 1 diabetes themselves, to avoid bias in the assessment of knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes due to personal experience with the disease
• Educational staff who have close family members (parent, child, spouse, sibling) diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, as personal experiences and additional knowledge gained through family circumstances could affect the objectivity of the results
• Individuals unable to participate in all phases of the study (e.g., due to planned absence or other reasons)
• Individuals who are unwilling or unable to provide informed consent
• This description clearly defines who is eligible and who is excluded from participation, ensuring the representativeness and objectivity of the study sample.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Sibenik University of Applied Sciences

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Nevena Simunic

Principal Investigator, Lecturer, MSN

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Osnovna škola Tin Ujević, Dječji vrtići Smilje

Šibenik, Hrvatska, Croatia

Osnovna škola Tin Ujević, Dječji vrtići Smilje, Šibenik, Hrvatska 22000

Šibenik, Šibenik, Croatia

Countries

Croatia

Other Identifiers

SibenikU

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id