Effects of empowerment program on attitude toward disease in type I diabetic patients

Diabetes is a chronic disease that produces serious incapacitating complications and education has an important role to successful control of it. Reviews of literature show perform of empowerment programs for activating patients in their self care roles are inadequate, so these kinds of survey are essential. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of empowerment program on attitude toward disease in type 1 diabetes patients. In this semi-experimental research, subjects consist of 40 type 1 diabetes patients that randomly divided into two equal intervention and control groups. Diabetes empowerment scale were used for data collection, both of groups completed the questionnaires. Then empowerment program during six, 90 minutes sessions were held for intervention group. Six weeks after intervention both of groups completed the questionnaires again. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Finding showed no significant difference in attitude toward disease before the intervention. (p>0.05) but after the intervention, positive changes had been created in intervention group (p=0.000). Implementation of empowerment program had significant effects on attitude toward disease for type 1 diabetes patients, and caused positive changes in total scale of attitude toward disease and patient’s autonomy subscale, so implementation of similar programs can improve attitude toward disease and therefore accept responsibility by patient, and finally can improve patient’s health status.