Effects of an individual and family self-management promotion program on self-management behaviors and Hemoglobin A1C Level among older persons with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
Abstract:
Uncontrolled diabetes in elderly patients requires effective self-management strategies involving both the patients and their families. This experimental study aimed to examine the effects of an Individual and Family Self-Management Promotion Program on self-management behaviors and Hemoglobin A1C Levels in elderly patients with uncontrolled diabetes. A total of 52 elderly diabetic patients were randomly selected from community health centers and sub-district health-promoting hospitals in San Sai District, Chiang Mai Province. The participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (26 participants) or a control group (26 participants). The experimental group participated in the Individual and Family Self-Management Promotion Program, which included five sessions over four weeks. The control group received standard care. The tools used in the study included the Individual and Family Self-Management Promotion Program and various data collection instruments such as general information questionnaires, self-management behavior questionnaires for diabetic patients, and hemoglobin A1C levels tests. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, paired t-tests, chi-square and McNemar tests. The results of the study found that the mean self-management behavior scores of elderly diabetic patients in the experimental group significantly increased after participating in the self-management promotion program (p < .001) compared to before the program and to the control group (p < .001). The proportion of elderly patients who could control their blood glucose levels after participating in the program was significantly higher than before the program (p < .001) and compared to the control group (p < .001). This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the Individual and Family Self-Management Promotion Program in enhancing self-management behaviors and reducing hemoglobin A1C levels in elderly patients with uncontrolled diabetes. Health professionals can apply this program to improve these behaviors in this population, thereby reducing Hemoglobin A1C levels and preventing complications associated with uncontrolled diabetes.