A Behavior Modification Program To Control Blood Sugar Levels Applying The Four Noble Truths Of Type 2 Diabetic Patients, Muang District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

          Diabetes  is a chronic  disease that affects  the quality  of life  of the patient. This quasi-experimental  research aimed to study the effect of a behavior  modification  program to control blood sugar levels applying the The Four Noble  Truths of type 2 diabetes patients, in Kanchanaburi  province. The sample was composed of 72 type 2 diabetic patients, 36 each in the experimental group and the comparison group. The experimental group received a program developed by applying the Four Noble Truths principles and Self-efficacy theory for ten weeks. The activities  comprised of knowledge by lecture with slide, learning through Mastery experience, Modeling,  Verbal  persuasion, Emotion  arousal, demonstration and practice, analyzing  and discussing problems and finding solutions with the Noble  Truths and home visits. The comparison group received regular health education service. Data was collected before and after experimentation by self-administer questionnaire and analyzed by percent, mean, standard deviation, Paired samples t-test, Independent t-test.

         Results  of the study found that after experimentation,  the experiment group had significantly  higher mean scores on knowledge  about food consumption, perceived self-efficacy,  perceived expectation outcome for the results of a suitable dietary intake, and proper dietary behavior than before the experiment and higher than that of the comparison group (p<0.05). The experimental group had lower level  of fasting blood sugar than before the experiment and the comparison group, but not statistically significant (p>0.05). Suggestions from  research results, this program can be applied  to blood sugar control activities  for type 2 diabetic patients to have appropriate dietary habits and to prevent complications.