Tailoring nursing interventions to empower patients: personal coping strategies and self-management in type 2 diabetes care

BACKGROUND: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases that severely reduce a patient's quality of life. Effective self-care and management are critical for maintaining blood glucose levels and preventing complications. AIM: This study evaluates the effectiveness of a structured diabetes self-management education program on patients' self-management behaviors, empowerment, and activation levels. METHODS: This study employed a quasi-experimental design involving 100 participants aged 30-65 to improve diabetes self-management and empowerment. Over 16 weeks, the program included three phases: a two-week pre-test phase for recruitment and baseline assessments using the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ), Diabetes Empowerment Scale (DES), and Patient Activation Measure (PAM); a 12-week intervention phase featuring weekly 90-minute educational sessions on topics such as diet, exercise, medication adherence, stress management, and self-empowerment; and a two-week post-test phase for follow-up assessments using the same tools. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests for PAM levels, and paired t-tests for DSMQ and DES scores, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The study demonstrated significant improvements in participants' self-management, empowerment, and activation levels after the intervention. DSMQ scores increased from 64.5 to 68.6 (p < 0.001), DES scores rose from 65.4 to 70.0 (p = 0.001), and the number of participants at the highest PAM activation level (Level 4) grew from 30 to 50 (p = 0.016). Positive correlations among DSMQ, DES, and PAM scores suggest these improvements are interrelated. CONCLUSION: The structured diabetes self-management education programme significantly impacted participants' self-management behaviors, empowerment, and activation levels. The findings underscore healthcare professionals' need to implement targeted interventions that facilitate patient engagement in diabetes care. RECOMMENDATION: Future interventions should be designed to address the specific needs of diverse populations, paying attention to those facing socio-economic challenges. It is vital to facilitate greater access to diabetes self-management education to enhance health outcomes for these demographic groups.