Effects of a Health Literacy and Self-management Promotion Program on Health Literacy, Self-management Behavior, and Blood Sugar in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a non-communicable disease and a major public health problem worldwide. If patients are unable to control their blood sugar levels, it may lead to serious complications such as diabetic retinopathy and diabetic kidney disease. Objective: To study the effects of the health literacy and self-management promotion program on health literacy, self-management behavior and blood sugar level in patients with type 2 diabetes. Method: A quasi-experimental research with two groups, pre- and post-test design was conducted. The study samples were selected according to the specified criteria; blood sugar level greater than or equal to 154 mg/dl. They were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group with 30 patients in each group. The groups were matched for characteristics such as fasting blood sugar level, diabetes medication treatment, and duration of diabetes within 5 years. During 6 weeks of intervention, the experimental group received the health literacy and self-management promotion program, the control group received conventional care. Result: After the experiment, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher mean scores in health literacy and self-management behavior compared to both their pre-experiment scores and those of the control group (p < .01). In addition, the mean blood sugar level in the experimental group after the intervention was significantly lower than before receiving program and lower than that of the control group (p < .01). Conclusion: Health literacy and self-management programs lead to positive behavioral changes in patients. Implementing such programs is recommended to promote better blood sugar control in individuals with diabetes.