The interplay of social support and education on diabetes knowledge: a focus on Korean American women

ABSTRACT

Objective

Although diabetes is one of the leading causes of death among Korean Americans, the levels and predictors of diabetes knowledge in this group have not been sufficiently reported. This study aimed to (1) describe the level of diabetes knowledge of Korean immigrant women in the U.S. and (2) examine whether there is an interaction effect between social support and education on diabetes knowledge.

Design

This study conducted a cross-sectional survey design. The sample included 227 Korean immigrant women living in the southeast region of the U.S. The fourteen items of the Diabetes Knowledge Test were used to assess the diabetes knowledge level of Korean American women. A multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to examine the interaction effect between social support and education on diabetes knowledge.

Results

Only 6% of the participants presented a good diabetes knowledge level, 12.5% had a poor level, and the majority (81.5%) had a moderate level. We found a significant interaction effect between social support and education on diabetes knowledge. The highest diabetes knowledge was observed when individuals with a lower education level had higher social support.

Conclusion

Future health practices and policies may focus on increasing knowledge among Korean American women with lower education levels and lower social support. Implementing peer-led initiatives can enhance diabetes knowledge and encourage better self-care practices within the community.

KEYWORDS:

• immigrants
• Korean Americans
• diabetes knowledge
• diabetes management
• diabetes education

Sustainable Development Goals:

• good health and well-being

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics statement

To ensure ethical conduct, all procedures were subjected to a comprehensive review and secured official approval from The University of Georgia Institutional Review Board (IRB#: STUDY00003284).

Additional information

Funding

The work was jointly supported by the University of Georgia School of Social Work, the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research; and the endowed academic chair research fund by the University of Alabama School of Social Work.