The effect of self care program education by group discussion method on self concept in diabetic adolescent girls reffered to Iranian Diabetes Society

Diabetes is a chronic illness which needs the self care behaviors up to the end of life. If this illness attends with adolescence because of the nature and properties of the adolescence creates problems of adapting to the illness and doing self care behaviors for adolescent and his/her family. On the other hand studies have shown that in chronic illnesses such as diabetes, self care interacts with self concept. How ever diabetes adolescents affiliating has problem for self concept and since adolescence the effect of self care on self concept has important value. So this study has been done to assess the effect of self care program with group discussion on self concept of diabetic young girls. This research is a semi experimental study has been done in 2008-2009 with 80 diabetic adolescent girls between 15-19 (40 as test group and 40 as evidence group) in Iranian Diabetes Society. After data collection result in pre intervention stage with knowledge, practice and self concept questionnaire and need measuring in each group, self care program was designed and then self care program was discussed in 6 sessions for test group. Then immediately and after one month of intervention again the same questionnaire completed for test and evidence group of diabetic adolescent girls. Results after data analysis showed that test and evidence group were same for independent sample t test and X2 test for demographic information (age, height, weight, fathers job...). In test group in comparison among before, immediately after and after one month of intervention there was significant difference in increasing score of knowledge, practice and self concept (P<0.0001). But this difference was not significant in evidence group (P>0.05) and independent t-test (P>0.05) showed no significant difference in knowledge, practice and self concept between test group, and evidence group before intervention. Immediately and after one month of intervention between two groups with independent t-test, was seen significant difference in mean score of knowledge, practice and self concept (P<0.05). Generally results of the research showed that performing the self care program by group discussion was effective in increasing self concept of diabetic adolescent girls and it is suggested that teaching self care behavior by group discussion is used as a effective method to improve self concept in other adolescents with chronic disease.