INFLUENCE OF EDUCATIONAL INTERVENTION USING INTERACTION APPROACH ON BEHAVIOR CHANGE, HEMOGLOBIN Alc AND HEALTH - RELATED QUALITY OF LIFE IN DIABETIC PATIENTS

Diabetes is a chronic disease of lifelong duration, and its management requires a fundamental change in the patient’s lifestyle. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a health education program on the knowledge, behavior, HBA1c and health related quality of life of diabetic patients after following the patients’ participation in the program. The study population consisted of type 2 diabetic patients attending at Bandar Abbas diabetic clinic. Eighty patients were randomly selected and they were randomly assigned to two groups, 40 to the intervention and 40 to the control group. At the initial visit and 4 months after education, knowledge and behavior were assessed by questionnaire; HBA1c measured by colorimetric method and health-related quality of life assessed by means of WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. The education sessions for intervention group were held at diabetic clinic. The 40 patients that assigned to the control group gave the appropriate consent and completed questionnaires at baseline and after 4 months. The intervention group had statistically significant increase in the mean of knowledge score from 6.7 to 15.8(p=0.000), physical health from 64.7 to 77.2 (p=0.000) and psychological health from 56 to 71.4(p=0.000) and had statistically significant reduction in the mean of HBA1c from 9.4 to 8.2 (p= 0.000).Also the intervention group had statistically significant increase in self-monitoring blood glucose, weight monitoring, exercise and diet. Patients in control group showed no significant changes in the outcomes measured except for knowledge. The decrease of HBA1c and increase of physical and psychological health mostly are due to change in behavior. This program is clinically worthwhile for patients with type 2 diabetes, and is an aid to physicians. Also This Approach is cheap, well-suited for primary care clinical, and applicable.