A preliminary study on diabetes self-management education and glycemic control among patients with diabetes mellitus

This study was aimed to assess the effectiveness of diabetes self-management education (DSME) in the improvement of glycemic control among patients with type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in Batticaloa District, Sri Lanka. The study was a prospective interventional study and conducted as a preliminary study at medical clinic, Base hospital, Kaluwanchikudy, Batticaloa. Thirty patients with T2DM were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A structured individual diabetes self-management education for 10 hours (one hour per week) was delivered to diabetic patients by the trained Nurse Health Educator. Glycosylate hemoglobin (HbA1c) was assessed as a main outcome measure and Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), Body Mass Index (BMI) of each patient were also measured and recorded before and after the intervention. The respondent rate was 96.7% (n = 29). Majority of them were females (n = 25, 86.2%). A Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that DSME had a statistically significant reduction in HbA1c [8.60 (IQR 2.60) vs. 7.40 (IQR 2.10), p = .000] and FBS level [159.00 (IQR 77.50) vs. 134.00 (IQR 40.50), p = .002] at 3 months of intervention. The mean BMI at baseline was higher compared to 3 months of intervention [24.88 (SD ± 3.06) vs. 24.19 (SD ± 2.79)] which was statistically significant (p = .000). Majority of participants (n = 22, 75.9%) had improved their HbA1c level by ≥ 0.5% in 3 months. The diabetes self-management education is an effective measure in improving glycemic control and other clinical parameters among patients with T2DM. Thus, DSME needs to be implemented among clinic patients with T2DM for the better outcome and the preventions of complications.