Objective: To investigate the effects of health education based on integrative therapy of Chinese and Western medicine for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) from the aspects of knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), health-related quality of life (HRQoL), body mass index (BMI) and glucose control.
Methods: Patients were individually randomized into intervention group (receiving integrative education, n=120) and control group (receiving usual education, n=120). The primary outcome was the changes in glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months from baseline. Hierarchical linear models (HLMs) were used to assess within-group changes in outcomes over time and between-group differences in patterns of change. Secondary outcomes were KAP scores, HRQoL scores and BMI after 6 and 12 months, paired-sample t test was used to assess within-group changes in outcomes in 6 and 12 months, independent-sample t test was used to assess between-group differences in patterns of change.
Results: HbA1c decreased statistically from baseline to 3 months, from 3 to 6 months, from 6 to 9 months and from 9 to 12 months in the intervention group (all P<0.01); and decreased significantly from baseline to 3 months, and from 3 to 6 months in the control group P<0.01). There was a significant between-group difference from baseline to 3 months (P=0.044), from 6 to 9 months (P<0.01) and from 9 to 12 months (P<0.01). Significant improvements in the intervention group along with significant between-group differences were found in KAP and HRQoL scores respectively (all P<0.05). The number in the intervention group of normal weight increased from 56 at baseline to 81 (6 months), 94 (12 months), the number in the control group were 63 (baseline), 69 (6 months), 70 (12 months), the χ2 of hierarchical analysis of BMI were 6.93 (P=0.075), 10.31 (P=0.016), 15.53 (P<0.01), respectively.
Conclusion: Health education based on integrative therapy of Chinese and Western medicine is beneficial to the control of T2DM and should be recommended for T2DM.
Keywords: glycosylated hemoglobin A1c; health education; health-related quality of life; traditional Chinese medicine; type 2 diabetes mellitus.