Effect of Nurse-led Training on Self-management of Diabetes among Diabetic Patients Attending Medical Outpatient Clinic in General Hospital Odan, Lagos State, Nigeria

Aims: Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disease associated with poor quality of life and great financial burden. Despite training on self-management of diabetes mellitus, its knowledge and practice among diabetic patients has been low. The study assessed the effect of nurse-led training on self-management of diabetes mellitus among diabetic patients attending the medical out-patient’s clinic of General Hospital Odan, Lagos, Nigeria.

Study Design: One group pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental study was adopted.

Methodology: Researchers included 20 diabetic patients (12 men, 8 women; age range 25-65 years) attending medical outpatient clinic of the hospital using purposive sampling. Participants completed a developed questionnaire to assess knowledge and practice regarding diabetes self-management pre-intervention and two weeks post-intervention. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics at 0.05 level of significance.

Results: There was 70% increase in knowledge regarding diabetes self-management among participants post-intervention. There was 45% increase in practice regarding diabetes self-management among participants post-intervention. Result showed significant difference in the effect of a nurse-led training on knowledge regarding self-management among diabetic patients pre and post-intervention with a mean difference in knowledge score of 14.2 (P=.000). Result also showed significant difference in effect of nurse-led training on practice regarding self-management among diabetic patients pre and post-intervention with a mean difference in practice score of 1.05 (P= .000).

Conclusion: Training program on self-management of diabetes can improve diabetic out-patients knowledge and practice regarding diabetes self-management. The study recommended that hospitals should regularly expose patients to training programmes on diabetes self-management to improve patients’ quality of life.