Graduate Program

Kinesiology and Sports Studies

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Semester of Degree Completion

2008

Thesis Director

Phyllis Croisant

Thesis Committee Member

Mark Kattenbraker

Thesis Committee Member

Jill Owen

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of various types of patient education in motivating diabetic patients to make lifestyle changes and helping patients identify causes of sub-optimal control of blood glucose. Patient educational tools compared included: verbal information from a physician, consultations with a dietician, sessions with a diabetes educator, written materials such as pamphlets or brochures, Internet sources of information, use of finger stick glucose monitoring, and use of the Continuous Glucose Monitoring System.

One hundred individuals with diabetes ( 63 females and 3 7 males) responded to an online survey that was hosted at www.myq3.com. Their ages ranged from 14 to 78 years (mean age= 32.5 years, SD= 14.4). There were 60 respondents with type 1 diabetes, 28 respondents with type 2 diabetes, and 10 women reported having gestational diabetes. The type of diabetes education that overall had the most impact on the participants was a consultation with a diabetes educator (selected by 35% ofrespondents), although type 2 diabetics felt that a consultation with a dietician had the most educational impact The older respondents, ages 40-78 years, indicated that verbal information from a physician and written materials such as pamphlet or brochures also had a positive impact.

The diabetes education received by the survey respondents seemed to be effective as 88 out of 100 participants felt they had more control over blood sugar levels after receiving education. The lifestyle changes reported by participants included diet, weight, exercise, and sleep. Seventy- four of the one hundred participants changed their diets. The most frequent change was having less sugar and the least frequent was consuming less alcohol. Forty-five percent of the participants had weight loss, 35% had no changes and 19% had weight gain. The overall number of participants who exercised on a regular basis after receiving education was 63 of the 99 participants who answered the question. The most common type of exercise performed was aerobic exercise and the least common exercise performed was sports. Sixty-two of ninety-nine participants became aware of glucose changes during sleep. Overall 83% participants have made positive changes in their everyday lifestyle after receiving education. In conclusion, education was extremely important and beneficial for motivating and helping diabetic patients make lifestyle changes and identify causes of suboptimal control of blood glucose.

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