An interventional study on the health promoting behaviours of adults with diabetes

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-directed intervention (NDI) in terms of improvement in the Health Promoting Behaviours (HPB) of adults with diabetes. An evaluative approach with a quasi-experimental non-equivalent pretest post-test control group design was used. The sample consisted of 30 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the experimental group and 30 in the control group of the two private hospitals selected by convenience non-random sampling technique. The main instruments used were “Health Promoting Behaviours Structured Questionnaire Rating Scale” and “Demographic and Clinical Proforma”. The NDI was a planned, systematic, organised and validated diabetic patient education programme with visual aids, designed for instructing adults with diabetes with regard to improving their HPB. The findings of the study showed that the mean posttest HPB scores of the experimental group were significantly higher when compared with the control group for the total HPB scale (Z = 6.26); and the health and functioning, social-economic, psychological/spiritual and family subscales Z = 6.597, 4.92, 5.01, and 5.42, respectively. The findings indicate effectiveness of the NDI in terms of significant improvement in the HPB of the adults with diabetes. Therefore nursing interventions, like education is a necessity for diabetes management.