Hossein Nasrabadi - MSc in Community Health, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Fahimeh Nikraftar - Instructor, Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Mojtaba Gholami - Department of Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
Gholamhossein Mahmoudirad - Associate Professor, Nursing Department, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran

Background: Families play a peculiar role in adherence to treatment in diabetic patients; therefore, it seems that interference in motivational, psychological, and self-issued characteristics based on the family-centered empowerment model (FCEM) affects this adherence. Aim: The present study aimed to determine the effect of FCEM on eating habits, weight, hemoglobin A۱C, and blood glucose control in Iranian patients with type ۲ diabetes. Method: This semi-experimental study was conducted on ۷۰ participants with type ۲ diabetes in a diabetes clinic in Birjand, Iran, in ۲۰۱۸. The participants were selected via purposive sampling and randomly assigned to two groups of control (n=۳۵) and intervention (n=۳۵) using block randomization. The intervention group received family-centered empowerment training for four weekly-held ۹۰-min sessions. Data were collected using demographic and disease characteristics form and Azartel et al.’s Dietary Behaviors Questionnaire and analyzed in SPSS software (version ۱۹). Results: The mean age scores of participants in the intervention and control groups were ۴۹.۶۶±۶.۳۷and ۴۹.۴۶±۵.۹۸ years, respectively. The intervention group showed an increasing trend through time, where the mean scores for eating habits and blood glucose had insignificant improvement one month (P>۰.۰۵) and three months (p <۰.۰۵) after the intervention. Hemoglobin A۱C level reduced significantly in the intervention group three months after the intervention (p <۰.۰۵), as compared to that in the control group (P>۰.۰۵). Implications for Practice: The FCEM can improve nutritional behaviors, hemoglobin A۱C, and blood glucose in type ۲ diabetic patients. This intervention can guide health care providers on how to improve the eating habits of diabetic patients through family empowerment training.

Blood glucose, eating habits, empowerment model, Family, Hemoglobin A۱C, Type ۲ diabetes