Solving the barriers to diabetes education through the use of multimedia

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that affects > 180 million people worldwide. It is persistent in Thai communities in spite of much effort in prevention and control. This study examined the knowledge capacity of villagers in the Klongmai community of Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, regarding diabetes by way of action research. A health status assessment and a survey of the community were carried out and used as the basis for designing an educational video on diabetes that is accessible regardless of age and educational background. Evaluations of the pre- and poststudy questionnaires were carried out using statistical analysis. The results indicated that the devised educational materials were effective in encouraging the community's self-awareness and perception of diabetes at the significance level of 0.05. Most importantly, the participants demonstrated proficiency in adapting the knowledge gained from the workshop to their own lifestyle. © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.