International Journal of Innovative Research in Health Science

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus is a major public health concern and one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Effective management of diabetes requires adequate knowledge of the disease and adherence to healthy lifestyle practices, including a balanced diet, regular physical activity, medication compliance, and routine monitoring of blood glucose levels. Assessing the knowledge and lifestyle practices among adults with diabetes mellitus is essential for planning appropriate educational and preventive interventions. Aim: To assess the level of knowledge and lifestyle practices among adults with diabetes mellitus in a selected community, to determine the correlation between knowledge and lifestyle practices, and to find the association between these variables and selected demographic characteristics. Methods: A quantitative research approach with a descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted. The study was conducted among 60 adults with diabetes mellitus residing in a selected community, selected by non- probability convenience sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising demographic variables, a self-structured 20-item knowledge questionnaire, and a 15-item lifestyle practices questionnaire. Descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Chi-square test and Pearson's correlation coefficient) were used for analysis. Results: Regarding knowledge, 28 (46.67%) participants had an average level of knowledge, 24 (40.00%) had poor knowledge, and 8 (13.33%) had good knowledge. Regarding lifestyle practices, 34 (56.67%) had moderate practices and 26 (43.33%) had good practices, with none demonstrating poor practices. A statistically significant positive correlation was found between knowledge and lifestyle practices (r = 0.3043, p = 0.0181). Knowledge was significantly associated with age, monthly income, and type of treatment, while lifestyle practices were significantly associated with gender, occupation, monthly income, type of treatment, and source of health information. Conclusion: The study concluded that although most participants had moderate knowledge and moderate-to- good lifestyle practices regarding diabetes mellitus, notable gaps remained, highlighting the need for structured community-based health education to strengthen knowledge and promote healthier self-care practices Keywords: antenatal diet, knowledge, attitude, primigravida, maternal nutrition.