Factors Associated with the Level of General Knowledge of Diabetes Mellitus in Students in the Final Two Years of Medical School: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: In Peru, there have been no studies on the knowledge of medical students about type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) which is relevant to ensure adequate preparation to address one of the pathologies with the highest burden of disease in this country. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study conducted in students in the last two years of medical school. A virtual survey was conducted using a previously validated questionnaire to find the general knowledge level of DM2. In addition, factors associated with the knowledge level were explored using appropriate hypothesis tests. Results: A total of 127 participants were included, 58 externships and 69 internships. The mean knowledge of DM2 was 67.14% in general and was the same in internships and externships. An association was found between knowledge and living with a person with DM (Coef=1.01 and p=0.015). Conclusions: The average in the questionnaire on knowledge of DM2 is slightly higher than the average found in other studies with questionnaires like the present study. A higher level of knowledge would be associated with living with a person with diabetes mellitus.