ABSTRACT
Background: Diabetes, a disease with increasing prevalence, requires comprehensive support from family members to ensure that sufferers are able to perform daily activities. The chronic nature of diabetes and its potential side effects impose high financial costs on patients and families, reduce their quality of life (QOL), and change the lifestyle of both patients and their families.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a family-based training program on QOL in persons with Type 2 diabetes.
Methods: A randomized clinical trial was used to assess the effects of an educational program on QOL both before and after 12 weeks of training for the experimental group (40 patients and families) and of standard care for the control group (40 patients) at an endocrinology clinic in a hospital in Iran. A demographic and social questionnaire and the QOL questionnaire for patients with Type 2 diabetes were used for data collection. The study groups were selected using block randomization sampling, and results were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Both the experimental and control groups were homogeneousin terms of demographic characteristics and QOL before the intervention. The results of the mean score of patient QOL after the 12-week training program showed a significant difference between the scores for the two groups of patients in the physical, mental, social, economic, disease, and treatment dimensions. Moreover, the total score and QOL of the experimental group improved significantly after the patients' families had attended the training program.
Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Educating the families of patients was shown in this study to improve the QOL of the patient. The design of educational programs for nursing students must emphasize the role of the family in the care of chronic patients.