Public awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and the new Italian childhood screening program: results from a cross-sectional survey in Italy

Objectives: To assess public knowledge of type 1 diabetes (T1D), awareness of the newly introduced Italian national T1D pediatric screening program, and willingness to participate in screening among survey respondents. Methods: By a nationwide cross-sectional online survey demographic data and T1D knowledge, awareness and attitudes toward the screening program were collected. A composite T1D knowledge score (range -1 to +1) was calculated using a right-minus-wrongs method. Results: A total of 695 respondents participated. Although 93.4% had heard of diabetes, specific knowledge of T1D was limited, with a median T1D knowledge score of 0.45. Significantly higher scores (p-value<0.05) were observed among females, residents of pilot regions, healthcare workers, and individuals who knew someone with diabetes. Awareness of the screening program is modest, with only 35.8% of participants adequately informed, with higher percentage in pilot regions (54.3%). Despite limited awareness, willingness to screen was high, with 93.4% of respondents and 95.4% of parents of eligible children open to screening. Higher knowledge scores were associated with greater willingness (p-value=0.037). Conclusions: Results highlight strong public readiness for T1D screening, but significant gaps in knowledge and awareness. Targeted education and communication are needed to ensure informed participation and support successful nationwide implementation of the program.