Development of a supportive-educative health education intervention for family caregivers of diabetes mellitus patients: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

Despite growing evidence on family involvement in diabetes management, few studies have developed and tested structured educational programs targeting family caregivers as active companions in resource-limited settings. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive family support education program based on the five pillars of diabetes mellitus (DM) management in enhancing family knowledge and educational support capacity. A quasi-experimental design with non-probability sampling was employed, involving 157 respondents (intervention group: 72; control group: 85). Social support was measured using a modified Diabetes Social Support Questionnaire-Family. Data were analyzed using independent and paired t-tests. The intervention group demonstrated a significant increase in mean educational support scores from 61.81 to 90.85 (mean difference = 29.04; p < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.82), indicating a large effect size. The control group showed negligible changes. Poor knowledge decreased from 45.8% to 26.39% in the intervention group, while intermediate knowledge increased substantially. The structured family education program produced a large and statistically significant improvement in caregiving capacity. These findings underscore the need for public health policies to integrate family-centered educational interventions into routine diabetes care, particularly in settings with limited healthcare infrastructure, to reduce disease burden and improve patient outcomes.