Channel to Death: High School Students Perception about Diabetes in Trinidad

Abstract

Objective: To assess high school students' perception and knowledge about diabetes during school annual diabetes awareness week programme. Methods: A qualitative approach was used to recruit twenty-four (N=24) high school students in November 2014. The students were asked to participate in a focus group discussion to determine their knowledge of diabetes, perceived consequences, possible solutions to the school curriculum, and daily lifestyle practices with diabetes. Findings: While all students were aware of the disease, their knowledge about diabetes was inadequate, in that they associated diabetes with death. Knowledge about symptoms, risk factors and management of diabetes was low. Some of the students reported the use of herbal medicine as a major component in the management of diabetes. Conclusion: Diabetes knowledge among high school students in Trinidad was found to be suboptimal. Although students were aware of the disease, knowledge about symptoms, risk factors and management care was low. There was also the dangerous misconception among the students that the use of herbal remedies would cure diabetes.