Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the relationship between participation in a self-help group for diabetes and self-care agency and management of diabetes.
Method: A matched-pair, controlled study was conducted, consisting of 90 diabetic patients: 30 diabetic patients participating in a self-help group (self-help group) and two sex-matched and age-matched (±5 years) controls for each patient (control group).
Subject selection criteria included absence of serious diabetes complications, ability to answer the questionnaires, and informed consent for participation in the study. Subjects were assessed for self-care ability via the self-care agency questionnaire (SCAQ), resource-seeking activity (number of efforts to obtain information from other patients, doctors, and nurses), and diabetes management (HbA1c and self-assessed health). Data were analyzed by using x2 test and t test.
Results: There was no difference in SCAQ scores (mean scores were above 70%).
Resource-seeking activities were significantly more frequent for the self-help group than the control group. There was no significant difference in diabetic management. Sixty percent of both the self-help and control groups had good diabetic control, with HbA1c below 7.0%.
Conclusions: The results suggest that participation in a self-help group has a positive effect on the resource-seeking activity of diabetes patients.
