A Study on the Effects of Health Education and Self-Care Status on the Aged Diabetics

노인요당 양성자의 질병관리에 대한 교육 및 추후 관리 양상에 관한 연구

This study examined the effect of Health Education on the aged. One of the Study objectives was to improve knowledge. attitude and self-care practice about diabetes of the aged who have responded positive in the urine sugar test. The other study objective was to find out factors influencing knowledge. attitude and self-care practice about diabetes. and the relationship among the three variables. The subjects, consisting of 45 positive responders in the urine sugar test, were selected from the elderly who attend elderly citizen center in southern part of Seoul Then they were divided into an experimental and a control group. The study design was set to compare the pre and post test data between the experimental and the control group with the measures of results from Health Education services including nursing care intervention programs on the aged diabetics. The first data collection was carried out in August. 1986 through questionaires and urine sugar testing. The second data collection was done in September, 1987 through the same methods. The results of the study are summarized as follows; 1. General characteristics of the subjects The experimental group has 9 females and 14 males and the control group has 12 females and 10 males. As for the educational level, more than half of the subjects in both group had completed at least 6 years of education. And there was no significant difference in urine sugar levels between the two groups. 2. The effect of Health Education on the extent of change in knowledge, attitude and self-care practice about diabetes was found to be significant. The first hypothesis that knowledge, attitude and self-care practice about diabetes in the aged will be unchanged by Health Education. was rejected by increased the three variables and decreased urine suger level in the experimental group. The second hypothesis that knowledge, attitude and self-care practice about diabetes wouldn't be concerned with each other, was rejected. That is. the three variables and urine sugar levels showed a significant positive relationship with each other but diabetic knowledge to urine sugar level had an insignificant positive relationship. The third hypothesis that the amount of learning Health Education will have no relationships with knowledge. attitude and self-care practice about diabetes. was rejected. That is, the more number of times an elderly person participated in Health Education. they increased their diabetic knowledge. attitude and self-care practice and decreased their urine sugar level. 3. Except for Health Education, an other factor influencing diabetic knowledge was educational level. And an other factor influencing the diabetic attitude was experience of the diagnosis of diabetes. 4. Except for Health Education. the other factors influencing self-care practice were experience of the diagnasis of diabetes, sex and experience of the hospitalization for diabetes. But factors influencing urine sugar level weren't found. Although the results seem to be plausible, this study is not without its problems. In paticular, the sample used is limited in its scope and size. So, more empirical work needs to be done for other diseases as well as diabetes before any general conclusions are to be made.