Abstract

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) self-management can be challenging for individuals living in rural communities due to limited access to education and healthcare resources. Poor T2DM self-management may contribute to decreased self-efficacy and increased risk of complications. The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effectiveness of a four-week community-based T2DM education program on participant self-efficacy related to diabetes management. The intervention consisted of four weekly educational sessions held at a senior center in a rural community. Each session included 30 minutes of didactic education, followed by a 15-minute interactive group activity. Weekly topics included T2DM overview, physical activity, medication management, and nutrition. Educational handouts and activities were developed to reinforce learning, and guest speakers included a local dietitian and physical therapist. Participants completed pre- and post- intervention self-efficacy surveys to assess changes in confidence related to diabetes self-management. Eleven participants completed both surveys. Mean self-efficacy scores increased from 58.7 pre-intervention to 68.2 post-intervention. A dependent samples t test demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in participant self-efficacy scores following the intervention (p = .020). Findings suggest that a community-based T2DM education program may improve self-efficacy related to T2DM self-management among rural adults. Structured educational interventions that incorporate interactive learning and interdisciplinary collaboration may help support improved T2DM self-management and patient confidence in rural populations.

Description

NRS 890: Doctoral Scholarly Project IV

Author Details

Amanda Tyma, DNP(c), BSN, RN

Sigma Membership

Tau Tau

Type

DNP Capstone Project

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Pretest-Posttest

Research Approach

Quantitative Research

Keywords:

Diabetes Education, Diabetes Self-Management, Self-Efficacy, Rural Health, Community Health, Patient Education, Chronic Disease Management

Advisor

Tara Whitmire

Degree

DNP

Degree Grantor

Nebraska Methodist College

Degree Year

2026

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Self-submission

Date of Issue

2026-07-20

Full Text of Presentation

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