The Effects of Self-care Training on Self-perception in Diabetic Adolescents

Introduction: Some of the problems that diabetic adolescents face are disturbances in mental image, difficulty in communicating with peers, and fear of dependence and lack of self-sufficiency, which cause changes in self-perception.
Methods: This study was a clinical trial with a sample size of 80 patients in two groups, including a control group (n=40) and an experimental group (n=40) of adolescents between 11–19 years of age referred to the Iran Diabetes Association (Aboozar). The training content was similar in both groups. In the control group, the educational contents were presented in three sessions of four hours; in the experimental group, they were trained by a CD. Their self-perception scores were then measured by using an 80-item Piers-Harris questionnaire, before and after intervention. SPSS software version16 was used for the data analysis.
Results: There were no significant differences in the self-perception of the two groups before the intervention, but there was a significant difference between the self-perception scores obtained from the Piers-Harris test in the control and experimental groups after the intervention (P=0. 000).
Conclusion: The self-perception of diabetic adolescents can be increased by the use of e-learning, and subsequently their blood glucose levels can be reduced, thus reducing various complications from diabetes.