Kashfi SM * ¹ (MD, MPH), Khani jyhouni A² (MSc), Bahadori khalili R¹ (MSc), Hatami M² (MSc)

  ¹ Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran

  ² Department of Public Health and Nursing, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran

  Received: 22 Jul 2009, Accepted: 5 Nov 2009

  Abstract

Introduction: Effective control of blood sugar depends on a combination of diet and physical activity/exercise. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of educating patients about nutrition and jogging on the control of blood sugar among type II diabetics.

Methods: This was an interventional study. The research population composed of 100 type II diabetic patients (50 cases and 50 controls), aged 40 to 65, with a history of at least 5 years of diabetes. Using four questionnaires , data were collected. The first questionnaire was related to the patients' demographic information. Two other questionnaires were related to the patients' nutritional behavior and jogging on the basis of self reporting, and the final questionnaire was for recording the patients' HbA1c and fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels.

Results: The result indicated that after the educational intervention, the mean scores of the patients' nutritional behavior and jogging significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group. Also, the rate of HbA1c (before intervention: %8.65, after three months: %7.47) and FBS level (before intervention: 207.08, after three months: 124.2) improved significantly among experimental group compared to the control group.

Conclusion: Applying educational program is very effective for diabetics in order to control their blood sugar and enhance their nutritional behavior and physical activity .

Key words: Diabetes Mellitus Type II, Nutrition Therapy , Health Education , Jogging

  Hakim Research Journal 2009 12(3): 54- 60

  * Corresponding Author: Department of public health, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran. Tel: +98- 912- 1481488, Fax: +98- 711- 6318362, Email:smkashfi@yahoo.com�