Endocrine Abstracts

JOINT2620

Introduction: Diabetes management requires active patient participation, including adherence to treatment regimens, dietary modifications, and glucose monitoring. Several sociodemographic factors, including educational attainment, may influence a patient’s ability to manage their condition effectively. Patients with lower educational levels may have reduced access to health information, lower health literacy, and greater difficulties in implementing diabetes self-management strategies. Severe hypoglycemia, a life-threatening complication requiring external assistance, can result from inadequate metabolic control, medication mismanagement, or unrecognized hypoglycemia symptoms. Understanding the relationship between education and metabolic management is crucial. This study investigates whether educational attainment is associated with an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of educational level on the frequency of severe hypoglycemia in diabetic patients and explore whether lower education levels are linked to an increased risk of poor glycemic control and hypoglycemic events.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 66 patients diagnosed with diabetes. Data were collected on their highest level of education and history of severe hypoglycemia. Patients were stratified into different educational groups, ranging from no formal education to higher education. Statistical analyses, including non-parametric tests, were performed to compare the frequency of severe hypoglycemia among groups and determine whether educational level influenced diabetes self-management.

Results: Patients with lower educational attainment exhibited a higher frequency of severe hypoglycemic episodes than those with higher education levels. Although the difference did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.07), a clear trend was observed, suggesting that lower education levels may be associated with an increased risk of severe hypoglycemia. Additionally, these patients demonstrated a higher likelihood of incorrect insulin administration, lack of adherence to glucose monitoring recommendations, and limited awareness of hypoglycemia symptoms. These findings suggest that health literacy plays a key role in diabetes self-management and metabolic stability.

Conclusions: Educational background appears to influence diabetes management, with lower education levels potentially predisposing patients to severe hypoglycemic episodes. These results highlight the need for tailored educational interventions addressing varying literacy levels to improve self-care practices and enhance metabolic control. Structured diabetes education programs that simplify complex medical concepts and promote individualized learning strategies may help reduce the risk of severe hypoglycemia and improve overall patient outcomes. Future studies with larger sample sizes are needed to confirm these findings and guide targeted educational policies in diabetes care.