KNOWLEDGE ABOUT HYPOGLYCEMIA IN YOUNG-WOMEN WITH TYPE-I DIABETES AND THEIR SUPPORTIVE OTHERS

Hypoglycemia is a common stressful occurrence for people with type I d iabetes, is disruptive to daily activities, and is a source of embarra ssment, fear and anxiety. Adequate knowledge about hypoglycemia is nee ded to recognize, treat, and prevent this condition. Families and frie nds also need adequate knowledge about hypoglycemia to provide helpful support. In this study, the Hypoglycemia Knowledge Questionnaire was used to measure knowledge about hypoglycemia in a convenience sample o f 94 young women with type I diabetes and 94 supportive others. Knowle dge about hypoglycemia was significantly higher for the young women wi th diabetes than for their supportive others, although knowledge defic its were evident for the young women on selected questionnaire items. Because normalization of blood glucose is associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia, comprehensive evaluation of knowledge about hyp oglycemia is critical to self-care. Additional studies are needed to v alidate the reliability and evaluate the usefulness of the Hypoglycemi a Knowledge Questionnaire in clinical and research applications.