Health Education and Health Promotion

Aims: This research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions based on the health belief model in enhancing hypoglycemia prevention skills among individuals with diabetes mellitus.
Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental study utilized a two-group pre-test and post-test framework. Seventy-two participants were recruited through purposive sampling and divided equally into intervention and control groups, with 36 individuals in each group. The intervention group received education through a health belief model-guided mobile application, while the control group utilized a pocketbook for educational purposes. Participants’ skills in preventing hypoglycemia were assessed before and after a two-month intervention period using a validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using paired and independent t-tests, with statistical significance set at p<0.05.
Findings: The intervention group demonstrated a notable improvement in hypoglycemia prevention skills, with mean scores increasing from 48.11±6.17 at baseline to 55.89±6.92 post-intervention (p=0.0001). In contrast, the control group showed only a modest increase, from 43.17±4.75 to 45.39±5.93 (p=0.0001). Post-intervention comparisons revealed a statistically significant difference in skill levels between the two groups (p=0.0001).
Conclusion: The health belief model-based education model effectively improves the ability of diabetes mellitus patients to prevent hypoglycemia.