A review of literature on school teacher's knowledge of diabetes showed that most elementary, middle school, and high school teachers lacked knowledge about diabetes and its impacts on the education of children with diabetes. A pilot program, "Diabetes 101," was developed and implemented for fifteen teachers in a predominately rural area of Wisconsin, with the objective of providing an overall understanding of diabetes. The teachers were recruited through a written letter to the school district and the district nurse, along with personal visits, public service announcements, and newspaper advertisements. Using PowerPoint for presentation and illustration, "Diabetes 101" covers signs and symptoms of diabetes, blood glucose testing, insulin therapy, ways to treat hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and role-playing. A pre/post evaluation indicated that a higher percentage of teachers knew more about the aspects of diabetes after completing "Diabetes 101" than before completing the program. There were also considerable favorable changes of attitude among participants of the program towards diabetic children as a result of participation in the program. Handouts to assist other health educators who might want to set up their own "Diabetes 101" program will be provided.
Learning Objectives: "At the end of the presentation, participants will know how to develop a simple training program for teachers on such health issues as diabetes."
Keywords: Diabetes, School-Based Programs
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.