Effect of structured education program on physiological and psychosocial outcomes in type 2 diabetes patients: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: This study was conducted to compare the effect of structured education program versus traditional diabetes education on insulin injection technique as well as physiologically and psychosocially related outcomes in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial. Totally, 71 Type 2 diabetes patients of using the insulin pen were enrolled and randomly divided into the intervention group (n = 36) and the control group (n = 35) according to random number table method. Patients in the intervention group received structured education program, while patients in the control group received traditional diabetes education. The levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), blood glucose, and lipids were monitored before and 3 months after intervention, and the insulin injection techniques, diabetes distress, and diabetes self-management skills between groups were assessed after 3 months. Results: Finally, 65 participants (intervention group: n = 33, control group: n = 32) finished the study. After the intervention, HbA1c was lower (7.42 ± 0.80 vs. 8.35 ± 1.40, P = 0.002), fasting blood glucose (FBG) was lower (7.27 ± 1.06 vs. 9.40 ± 3.16, P < 0.001), and postprandial blood glucose (PBG) was lower (10.33 ± 2.20 vs. 12.77 ± 4.94, P = 0.012) in the intervention group than in the control group. No statistically significance was identified between the two groups in scores of Diabetes Distress Scale and summary of diabetes self-care activities. Conclusion: Patients with Type 2 diabetes received structured education program, with greater improvements achieved in HbA1c, FBG, PBG, and measures about insulin injection techniques compared to the traditional education group, but there was no significant difference in diabetes distress or self-management behavior between groups.