Effects of Social Network‐Based Health Education on Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To evaluate the effects of social network-based health education on self-management, self-efficacy and HbA1c of older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A convenience sample of 64 elderly T2DM patients with poor glycemic control was randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group received social network-based health education with their nominated social network member for 12 weeks, while the control group received health education alone. The scores of Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA), Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale (DSES), and HbA1c were compared between groups at the baseline and after 12 weeks by using RM-ANOVA. Sixty older adults with T2DM, 30 cases in each group, completed the study. The diet and blood glucose testing dimensions of C-SDSCA had an interaction effect on group-by-time (F were 4.700 and 4.752, respectively, p < 0.05). The mean diet dimension score increased by 1.55 in the intervention group, while 0.76 in the control group, and the score of blood glucose testing dimension increased by 3.5 in the intervention group, while 0.75 in the control group. No significant group-by-time differences were found in C-DSES (F = 1.667, p > 0.05) and HbA1c (F = 0.553, p > 0.05). Social network-based health education effectively promotes self-management in diet and blood glucose testing of the elderly T2DM patients with poor glycemic control. Trial Registration: China Clinical Trial Registration Center (ChiCTR2000038177).