Unlocking the secrets: How well do nutrition and dietetics students understand diabulimia and health literacy?

Background: Despite the significant health risks associated with it, diabulimia, which involves the omission of insulin for the purpose of weight control in individuals with type 1 diabetes, remains underrecognized.

Aim: This study assessed diabulimia knowledge in third- and fourth-year nutrition and dietetics students and its relationship with health literacy.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 231 students (90.5% female) in the third (38.5%) and fourth (61.5%) years of the Nutrition and Dietetics Departments at two universities and was carried out between June and July 2024. A questionnaire covering demographic characteristics, Diabulimia Knowledge Level Scale (DKLS) and Turkish Health Literacy Scale (THLS-32) was administered to the students in person. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 28.0.

Results: DKLS scores of third-year students were lower than those of the fourth-year students ( = 0.014). Similarly, THLS-32 scores were higher in fourth-year students ( = 0.012). However, there was no statistical significance in DKLS, THLS-32 scores and THLS-32 classification between the universities ( = 0.307,  = 0.137, and  = 0.491, respectively). No relationship between age, DKLS and THLS-32 was found.

Conclusion: Fourth-year students demonstrated higher diabulimia knowledge and health literacy scores, highlighting the impact of advanced education. However, no differences were found between the universities. These findings underscore the need for further research to explore the factors contributing to knowledge and health literacy development, including curriculum design, teaching methods, and clinical training. Additionally, expanding this investigation to include other healthcare professionals could provide a broader perspective of existing gaps in diabulimia awareness and health literacy.