Effect of Orem’s self-care model on the quality of life in adolescents with diabetes type 1: A randomized clinical trial

The present study aims to determine the effect of Orem’s self-care model on the quality of life in adolescents with diabetes type 1. A randomized controlled trial was conducted at Guilan University of Medical Sciences in Rasht, Iran. Adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes constituted the study’s participants. The research enrolled 80 diabetic patients, divided randomly into two groups: the control group and the intervention group. The study employed four blocks labeled A, B, C, and D, selecting the initial block through a lottery-based method. The intervention group received a series of eight training sessions structured by the Orem’s self-care model. In contrast, the control group received standard routine education without the structured sessions aligned with the aforementioned model. The data collection instruments used in this study comprised a demographic information questionnaire, an Orem’s health status questionnaire, and an SF-36 quality of life questionnaire. The study comprised 80 diabetic type 1 patients, with 40 assigned to the control group and 40 to the intervention group. The average age of the participants was 13.40 (SD=2.25). Notably, a substantial difference was observed in the change of scores about the physical dimension between the intervention and control groups (P=0.03). Additionally, a significant disparity in mental dimension scores was observed between the intervention and control groups (P=0.02). Our investigation demonstrated that the development and execution of an educational training program grounded in the Orem’s self-care model yielded an enhancement in the quality of life among adolescent patients diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.