P-396: Impact of an educational intervention program on type 1 diabetes mellitus for elementary school educators in a capital city in southern Brazil
J R Azevedo Silva, A Leão, C Kapp Fritz, L E Cruvinel Pinto, F Bora Moleta, G de Carvalho Kraemer, S Nesi FrançaAbstract
Introduction
Despite international guidelines emphasizing prepared school environments for emergencies and student inclusion, educators often lack adequate knowledge about the condition. This gap compromises student safety, highlighting the urgent need for targeted interventions.
Objectives
To evaluate educators’ knowledge about Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1D) before and after an in-person educational session, and to assess the impact of this intervention.
Methods
A prospective interventional study applied a questionnaire on general T1D concepts before and after an in-person class. A convenience sample of 158 public school educators from a capital city in Southern Brazil and its metropolitan area was selected. After exclusions, the final sample consisted of 110 participants. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 for analytical purposes.
Results
Participants were mostly female (84.55%), held specializations (73.39%), and worked in public education (77.06%). Mean age was 44.76 years (± 9.91), and predominant per capita income was 1 to 2 minimum wages. Furthermore, 68.82% worked in schools with T1D students. Before intervention, the mean percentage of correct answers was 47.92%, with 32.34% “I don’t know” responses. Correct answers significantly correlated with “Contact with students with T1D at school,” “Family member with diabetes,” and “Health care service used.” After the intervention, correct answers increased to 87.98%, and “I don’t know” responses decreased to 1.58%, showing significant relevance across all questions.
Conclusions
The study revealed knowledge gaps regarding T1D among educators. The brief, targeted educational intervention effectively improved teachers’ understanding of T1D, including specific emergency management and appropriate protocols in the school environment.