Type 2 Diabetes - The Benefits of Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands

According to scientists, empowerment training can help Type 2 diabetes more than traditional educational program. A study performed at Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine in Nanking, China, was published in the February 2015 issue of Diabetes Technology and Therapy. A total of 885 Type 2 patients were enrolled and took two tests…

the Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form, and

the Chinese version of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale.

It was found the most empowered patients had the best self-care behavior regardless of age, gender, marital status, or length of time with their diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Empowered patients…

ate healthier foods,

exercised more,

took their medications more regularly, and

performed proper foot care,

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more than the non-empowered.

The proof of the pudding was the empowered diabetics had lower HbA1c values than less empowered participants. The scientists concluded empowering all diabetics should be an important part of any Type 2 diabetes education program.

The 2011 edition of the online journal Patient Education and Counseling, reported a study in which a traditional diabetes training was compared with an empowerment program. At the end of three months, the empowered group showed a much better understanding of their disease than did the traditional education group.

To become empowered, first learn the ABC’s of Type 2 diabetes…

“A” stands for HbA1c,

“B” stands for blood pressure, and

“C” stands for cholesterol.

Knowing how high each of the ABC’s is and setting goals for improvement is empowering.

Learning to apply the ABC’s of Type 2 diabetes is the first step to empowerment. Ask your doctor your levels of each and write them down. Also ask what your levels should be to show good control. Once you know your state of health and what to aim for, the next step is planning how to achieve your goals. Sit down with a diabetes educator and discuss strategy. Some educators use weather as a way for patients to assess their HbA1c levels…

less than 7.0 percent is sunny,

7.0 to 8.5 percent is partly sunny, and

greater than 8.5 per cent is cloudy.

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Sometimes team-based learning experiences are helpful: often small groups are told about hypothetical people with Type 2 diabetes. They are given ABC values and the self-care status of each diabetic and asked to decide which ones are most likely to have complications. Discussing the information helps diabetics to learn and remember what to do to prevent the consequences of poor diabetic control.

The 2011 edition of the online journal Patient Education and Counseling reported a study which found empowerment resulted in better understanding of Type 2 diabetes, better understanding of goals, and better tracking of information than traditional diabetes education.

Type 2 Diabetes - The Benefits of Taking Matters Into Your Own Hands - Diabetes