The Effect of Self-Care on Glycated Hemoglobin and Fasting Blood Sugar Levels on Adolescents with Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Type 1 diabetes is a chronic condition that causes many problems for adolescents and their families. Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes and the numerous complications of the disease that require long-term treatment and the need for daily blood glucose control, lifestyle modification and knowledge acquisition regarding self-care behaviors are essential throughout life. Objectives: Considering the increasing prevalence of diabetes, this study evaluated the effect of self-care education on glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and blood glucose control in adolescents with diabetes in Ilam, Iran. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was conducted on patients with type 1 diabetes in Ilam. Patients were assigned randomly to experimental (n = 21) and control (n = 24) groups. A total of seven self-care group training sessions were arranged by the researcher; each session lasted 90 minutes and each group included five people. Patient fasting blood sugar (FBS) and HbA1c levels were measured before and three months after the intervention and analyzed using the SPSS 16.0 software, including descriptive statistics and chi-square, Mann-Whitney, independent t, and paired t-tests. Results: The findings of this study showed that there was no significant difference between the control and experimental groups regarding FBS and HbA1c findings before the intervention. However, compared to the levels before the intervention, the difference was significant in the experimental group yet insignificant in the control group. Conclusions: These findings suggest that nurses should provide patients with this type of training to improve the health of patients with type1 diabetes.