Evaluation of the Effect of Diabetes Knowledge Levels of Nursing Students on Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors

Objectives: This study examines the relationship between nursing students’ diabetes knowledge levels and their healthy lifestyle behaviors. Methods: The research sample consisted of 299 students studying at the Faculty of Nursing of two foundation universities in Istanbul. Data was collected using the Participant Information Form, the Adult Diabetes Knowledge Test, and the Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scale-II. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis were employed to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.6±1.6 years, and 81.6% were women. The total score average of the Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale-II is 130.73±20.23. Among the subscales, the highest mean score was found in spiritual development (25.45±4.38), and the lowest score was in physical activity (18.25±3.93). Although a weak positive correlation was observed between diabetes knowledge and healthy lifestyle behaviors, this relationship was not statistically significant (r=0.085, p=0.145). Conclusions: Although the correlation did not reach statistical significance, the results highlight the potential influence of diabetes education on lifestyle choices. The study fills a gap in the literature among nursing students. It highlights the need to integrate preventive health education into the nursing curriculum due to the increasing prevalence of diabetes.