The Community Service Program: Education on Diabetes Mellitus Complications

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease with a continuously increasing global prevalence, including in Indonesia. Complications resulting from DM, such as diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, neuropathy, cardiovascular diseases, and amputations, often severely impair patients' quality of life. One of the major challenges in diabetes management is the low awareness among patients and families regarding the early signs of complications. Therefore, this community service program aimed to enhance the knowledge and empowerment of members of the Diabetes Mellitus Club at Mojowarno Christian Hospital in recognizing and managing diabetes complications early.

The activities were conducted from January 25–28, 2025, involving healthcare practitioners, lecturers, and students. The education was delivered through interactive lectures, group discussions, blood glucose monitoring simulations, and role-plays focusing on recognizing complication symptoms. Evaluation was carried out using a multiple-choice post-test and collecting verbal feedback from participants.

The evaluation results showed a significant increase in participants' knowledge, with an average post-test score improvement of 35%. About 85% of participants were able to correctly identify signs of diabetes complications. However, approximately 15% still demonstrated low understanding, indicating the need for more personalized educational approaches in future programs. This initiative proves that structured community-based education can enhance health literacy and empower patients and their families in diabetes management. Moving forward, similar programs should be expanded to other communities to reduce the national burden of diabetes complications.