Abstract :
The study's main goal is to assess the effectiveness of an instructional program on knowledge of diabetic patients about osteoporosis at teaching hospitals in Duhok city. A quasi-experimental design study has been carried out at teaching hospitals in Duhok city from 1st January, 2021to September 9th; 2021. The sample of the study consists of fifty-four diabetic patients divided into 2 groups: twenty-seven patients as a study group exposed to the instructional program, and twenty-seven patients as a control group was not exposed to the program. The study instrument was constructed depending on literature reviews and previous studies related to diabetes management and osteoporosis prevention in diabetic patients. The data collection was through a questionnaire format which consists of two sections: section one consists of (14) items which include: (Age, gender, marital status, educational level, family income, diabetes duration, diabetes type, methods for treating their diabetes, family history of diabetes, use of calcium and vitamin D supplements, body mass index (BMI), smoking status, other chronic diseases, and alcohol drinking). Section two consists of (22) items related to patients' knowledge about osteoporosis. The study finding’s of testing comparisons significant with reference to studied items, as well as scoring scales assessments concerning the effectiveness of applying instructional program were reported highly significant differences at P<0.01 toward the effect of program's contents through raising knowledge grades of studied respondents particularly at the post1 period. The study concluded that diabetic patients’ knowledge toward preventive osteoporosis had a meaning full improvements through applying the suggested of an instructional program could be generalize on the studied population even though presented differences within studied respondents concerning their socio-demographical characteristics variables. The study recommends that more studies should be conducted in larger samples to detect the modifiable risk factors for osteoporosis and how to control it, and illustrated booklet about diabetes and osteoporosis relationship must be available in diabetic centers for all patients.
