Effect of Extended Parallel Process Pattern on Diet Adherence in Type II Diabetic Patients

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in the world, and one of its treatments is adherence to a diet. Numerous studies have shown that the most effective training programs are according to theory-based approaches. Extended parallel process paradigms are among health education models on the basis of fear, sensitivity, and self-efficacy of patients. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of the extended parallel process model on diet adherence of type II diabetic patients.

This experimental study was performed in two randomly divided intervention (n=30) and control (n=30) groups at Gonbad Kavous Diabetic Clinic in Golestan, Iran, in 2019. The control group received routine care education for diabetic patients, and the experimental group received six sessions of 45-60 min training with the extended parallel process model. The data collection tool was a 34-item diet adherence questionnaire. The data were analyzed by SPSS  software (version 21) using paired t-test, independent t-test, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).

The results of ANCOVA after the removal of the pretest showed a significant difference between the two groups in terms of dietary compliance (P<0.01; Eta=0.28). Accordingly, 28% of posttest changes could be due to the extended parallel pattern training.

Extended parallel process pattern increases diet adherence in diabetic patients. Therefore, based on the results of this study and effectiveness of the extended parallel process model on diabetic adherence of diabetic patients, it can be concluded that self-efficacy as a predictor of diet adherence is predictive of disease control and complications.