Effect of group education including peer interaction on metabolic control in adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes: A randomized controlled study

The research was conducted as a randomized controlled interventional study to examine the effect of training adapted to the Roy Adaptation Model, including peer interactive group support, given to adolescents diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes with poor glycemic control in the 13-18 age group, on the metabolic control of adolescents. The sample of the study consisted of 46 adolescents (23 intervention, 23 control) who were determined by simple randomization, registered at Mersin City Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Endocrine Polyclinic, and continued to be followed up. Data of the research; It was collected with data collection forms consisting of "Diabetes Adolescent Identification Form", "Diabetes Information Evaluation Form", "Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes" and "Child's Attitude Towards His Own Illness Scale". Peer interactive group support sessions were applied to the adolescents in the intervention group by the researcher one week apart. The content of the training, which was presented in 7 sessions in total, was created according to the Roy Adaptation model. Each session lasted an average of 2 hours. During the sessions, presentations prepared by the researcher on each week's topic were explained, and in this process, experiences were shared on each topic and an interactive environment was created. The control group received individual diabetes education implemented as hospital routine by a diabetes education nurse. The study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov and received the number NCT05811078. The analyzes were carried out using the SPSS 26.0 package program, and the significance level was taken as α = 0.05. When the adolescents in the intervention and control groups were examined in terms of demographic variables and diabetes-related characteristics; It was determined that there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>0.05). According to the findings of the study, a statistically significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups in terms of the mean scores of self-efficacy towards diabetes, attitude towards one's own disease and level of knowledge about diabetes (p<0.001). It was determined that there was no difference between the groups in terms of HbA1c levels evaluated at the 1st and 3rd months (p>0.05). In conclusion; ıt can be said that peer interactive group support training in adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes is an effective training method to increase adolescents' diabetes self-efficacy, attitudes towards the disease and diabetes knowledge. It is recommended that peer interactive group support training for adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes be regularly and continuously planned and carried out by diabetes education nurses in clinics in support of traditional training programs.