Effect of an Educational Intervention Program Based on Bandura’s Selfefficacy Theory on Selfcare, Selfefficacy, and Blood Sugar Levels in Mothers with Prediabetes during Pregnancy

Background: Sense of selfefficacy prepares an appropriate framework for selfcare behaviors. Aim: This study aimed at investigating the effect of an educational intervention program based on Bandura’s SelfEfficacy Theory (SET) on selfcare, selfefficacy, and blood sugar levels in mothers with prediabetes during pregnancy. Method: This randomized twogroup clinical trial was conducted on 100 pregnant women with prediabetes in Shirvan, Iran, during 2018. The intervention group received educational training according to the constructs of Bandura’s SET. On the other hand, the control group was provided with routine care. The data were collected using Diabetes SelfCare Activities and the standardized and adjusted Diabetes SelfEfficacy Questionnaires, as well as an automatic biochemistry analyzer, and a blood glucose monitoring device. The data were analyzed in SPSS software (version 22) through paired sample ttest, MannWhitney U test, and Wilcoxon signedrank test. Results: The mean ages of the participants in the intervention and control groups were 28.9±7.1 and 29.3±6.2 years, respectively. According to the MannWhitney U test results, the intervention group obtained higher scores regarding selfcare behaviors and sense of selfefficacy (41.8±13.5, 99.3±16.2), compared to the control group (22.8±5.0, 99.3±16.2, P˂0.001). The mean fasting blood sugar level in the intervention group (75.8±6.7) was significantly lower than that in the control group (85.4±9.7, P˂0.001). Implications for Practice: The promotion of selfcare behaviors and selfefficacy strategies in mothers with prediabetes during pregnancy could prevent gestational diabetes and reduce the severity of its complications.