A Pilot Study of The Effects of Home-Based Empowerment Program for Caregivers on Glycemic Control in Children with Poor Diabetic Control

บทคัดย่อ

Purpose: to evaluate the effects of a home-based empowerment (HBE) program for caregivers on glycemic control in children with poor diabetic control (PDC).

Design: quasi-experiment one group pretest-posttest design

Methods: The subjects in the study were 15 caregivers of children with PDC aged 8 to 15 years. The development of the HBE program was based on Gibson’s conceptual model. The program consisted of four steps including: 1) discovering reality - discovering the problems that caused diabetic children to not be able to control their blood sugar levels, 2) critical reflection - finding strategies to resolve the problems and to control blood sugar levels, 3) taking charge - deciding the appropriate care for diabetic children, and 4) holding on - maintaining the confidence in controlling blood sugar levels. The outcomes of the study were collected at the end of the program (a three-month period).

Main findings: The results showed that after attending the HBE program, caregivers demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in their care behavior. (p < .05)  However, there was no statistical significance in levels of HbA₁c. (p > .05) Seventy-three percent of caregivers were very satisfied with the HBE program.

Conclusion and recommendations: This study suggests that HBE programs should be implemented with caregivers of children with PDC. The program may also be appropriate for newly diagnosed children with diabetes. For further study, a HBE program, which is longer in duration should be implemented with a periodic evaluation of program outcomes.