Effectiveness Of A Structured Health Awareness Program On Knowledge, Attitude And Practice Of Diabetic Diet Consumption Among Diabetes Mellitus Patients Attending A Diabetic Clinic At Government General Hospital, Karaikal: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a major and increasing public health challenge. Dietary self-management is central to glycaemic control, yet patients often have inadequate practical knowledge regarding appropriate food choices, meal timing and portion control. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a structured video-based health awareness program on knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) regarding diabetic diet among patients with diabetes mellitus. Methods: A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test/post-test study was conducted among 30 patients attending the diabetic clinic at Government General Hospital, Karaikal. Participants were selected by purposive sampling. A validated structured questionnaire assessed knowledge, attitude and practice regarding diabetic diet before and one month after a 30-minute educational video intervention. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test and tests of association were used, with significance set at p<0.05. Results: Post-test mean scores improved for knowledge (4.6 to 8.6), attitude (4.3 to 7.6) and practice (3.7 to 7.2), and all improvements were statistically significant (p<0.05). No selected demographic variable showed a statistically significant association with post-test knowledge. Conclusion: The structured video-based awareness program produced meaningful improvement in diabetic-diet-related KAP. Integrating simple, culturally appropriate, repeatable dietary education into routine outpatient care may strengthen diabetes self-management, especially in resource-limited settings.