Objective To examine the awareness on diabetes-related knowledge and its influencing factors in non-diabetic population in Jiangsu province, and to provide evidences for effective prevention and control of diabetes in general population.

Methods We recruited 5 227 urban and rural 18 – 82-year-old residents in two municipalities of Zhenjiang province using stratified multistage random sampling and conducted a questionnaire survey and blood glucose testing among the residents from April to July 2017. Then, we analyzed the awareness on diabetes-related knowledge and its influencing factors in 4 386 non-diabetics from the residents surveyed.

Results The overall awareness rate of diabetes knowledge for all the non-diabetics was 37.81%, with the rates of knowledge domains of 62.81% for basics, 32.91% for typical symptoms, 22.33% for complications, 24.94% for susceptible population, and 39.12% for prevention measures, respectively. Of all the non-diabetics, only 336 (7.66%) were assessed with adequate diabetes knowledge. Multivariate unconditional logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the non-diabetics of female gender, with an education of high school/professional high school/technical secondary school and above, with household monthly income of ≥ 1 000 yuan RMB were more likely to have adequate diabetes knowledge; while, those living in southern region of Jiangsu province and with no/unclear family history of diabetes were more likely to have poor diabetes knowledge.

Conclusion The awareness about diabetes knowledge is generally poor and mainly influenced by gender, education level, family monthly income, residential region and family history of diabetes among adult non-diabetic residents in Jiangsu province.