Journal of Diabetes Nursing Volume 18 No 3 2014 111 Article Effect of an educational intervention on the metabolic control of people with type 2 diabetes Dalma Alves Pereira, Nilce Mª Silva Campos Costa, Ana Luíza Lima Sousa, Paulo César Veiga Jardim, Luciana Sanches Siqueira Jardim Citation: Pereira DA, Costa NMSC, Sousa ALL et al (2014) Effect of an educational intervention on the metabolic control of people with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Nursing 18: 111–6 Article points 1. Health education is one of the recommended strategies to help lower the high rate of complications in people with diabetes. 2. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of diabetes education on metabolic control in people with both hypertension and type 2 diabetes at a general hospital of a Brazilian University. 3. The study showed that the educational programme was effective in disease control and self-care management. Key words - Education - Glycaemic control - Self-care Authors Dalma Alves Pereira is Nurse Master Associate Dean for Research; Nilce Mª Silva Campos Costa is Associate Dean for Research; Ana Luíza Lima Sousa is Associate Dean for Research; Paulo César B. Veiga Jardim is Associate Dean for Research; Luciana M. Sanches Siqueira V.Jardim is Endocrinologist Associate Dean for Research, all at Federal University of Goias, Brazil. The incidence of diabetes has increased worldwide due to a number of factors, including increasing age, dietary habits, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. This study evaluated the effects of educational activities on metabolic control in people with hypertension and diabetes. After the educational intervention, knowledge improved significantly in all areas examined and there was greater reduction in mean blood pressure, waist circumference, and HbA 1c in the intervention group ( P<0.05). In intragroup analysis, only the intervention group showed a significant reduction in all the variables. The educational intervention improved knowledge about the disease and this was reflected in better metabolic control. T he incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) has increased worldwide, due to increasing age, dietary habits, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles (Organização Pan- Americana da Saúde, 2003). In Brazil the prevalence of diabetes in the population over 18 years of age is 5.2% (Brazilian Society of Diabetes, 2007). With arterial hypertension, T2D is the leading cause of mortality, hospitalisations and lower limb amputations (Furtado and Polanczyk, 2007; Schaan and Reis, 2007; Cesse et al, 2009). Treatment of diabetes should include both pharmacological and nonpharmacolgical measures, alongside associated lifestyle changes. Health education is one of the recommended strategies to help lower the high rate of complications in people with diabetes (Brazilian Society of Diabetes, 2007; Fitzner et al, 2008). The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of educational activities about diabetes on metabolic control in people with both hypertension and diabetes at a general hospital of a Brazilian University. Method This randomised, controlled clinical trial was conducted at an arterial hypertension treatment referral centre for people diagnosed with arterial hypertension. Sample One thousand people registered with hypertension were identified. Of these, there were 279 (27.9%) individuals with diabetes and of these, 47 (16.8%) used insulin. The sample was calculated on the basis of the population of 232 non-insulin dependent T2D individuals, with a 3% margin of error for mean glycated haemoglobin. Seventy-six individuals with hypertension and diabetes were invited to participate in the study. Randomisation was accomplished using a simple drawing of two subject groups: the control group (CG) and the intervention group (IG). Each group had 38 participants. People with hypertension and JDN 18-3 111.indd 111 18/03/2014 15:06