Summary: In a quasi-experimental trial in Nigeria, a print-based educational module with take-home leaflets and weekly reminders significantly improved diabetes self-care practices, while a no-intervention control group showed no change.
PICO Summary
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Population | 192 patients with type 2 diabetes at tertiary hospitals in Southwest Nigeria (96 per group); quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study. |
| Intervention | Print-based instructional module: a presentation session with take-home leaflet and weekly activity reminders over 12 weeks. |
| Comparison | No-intervention control group. |
| Outcome | Good self-care practice rose to 90.4% in the print-based group, with a significant increase in self-care scores (10.57 to 12.96; z=-6.85; p<0.001). The control group showed no significant change (p=0.873). |
Print-based education for self-care in type 2 diabetes
Quasi-experimental · type 2 diabetes · 12 weeks
A low-cost print module with leaflets and weekly reminders significantly raised self-care practice scores, while the no-intervention control stayed flat.
Expert Commentary
This is a pragmatic, resource-appropriate trial addressing a real need, since sustained self-care rather than knowledge alone is what determines outcomes in type 2 diabetes, and low-cost printed materials are well suited to settings where digital tools and intensive counselling are not always feasible. The result is internally clear, with a meaningful rise in self-care practice in the intervention group against a flat control, and the addition of take-home leaflets plus weekly reminders is a sensible way to reinforce learning over time. I would weigh the findings against the design’s limits. Self-care was self-reported, which invites social-desirability bias, the comparator received no structured input so part of the effect reflects attention rather than the leaflet specifically, the outcome was a practice score rather than HbA1c or complications, and the follow-up was only twelve weeks with durability untested. Can I use this with my patients? Yes, readily and cheaply. It supports supplementing routine diabetes education with clear written materials and periodic reminders, particularly for patients with limited access to other resources, while I stay realistic that printed education complements rather than replaces clinical follow-up and that behaviour gains need reinforcement to last.
References
Howells BB, Nwozichi CU, Monehin S, Ogunmuyiwa AO, Abaribe C. Assessing the effectiveness of print-based educational intervention on self-care practices among type 2 diabetes patients in selected tertiary hospitals in Southwest, Nigeria. BMC Endocr Disord. 2025;25(1):268. doi:10.1186/s12902-025-02065-1