Effects of family members’ empowerment program on family members’ food preparing behaviors for elderly diabetic patients

Abstract

Background: The lose power of family members which leads to inappropriate food preparations behaviors for
elderly diabetics. As a result, older people with diabetes control the blood sugar level more difficult. Empowering
family members in the appropriate food preparations behavior will help elderly diabetes patients have the right
dietary behavior, while enabling normal control of the progression of the disease to normal conditions.
Objective: To study the effects of a family member empowerment program on family members’ food preparation
behaviors for elderly diabetic patients.
Methods: The subjects were family members aged 25 - 59 years who performed the main duty of preparing food
for elderly diabetic patients, with 33 people in each group. Data collection tools are three questionnaires and
empowerment program administered over a period of six weeks.
Results: The program contributed to higher mean scores for the food preparation behavior of family members
who were caregivers for elderly diabetic patients in the experimental group than in the control group. Furthermore, the experimental group had significantly higher mean posttest scores than pretest scores, while there were no differences in the pre- and posttest mean scores for the food preparation behaviors in the control group.
Conclusions: The empowerment program received by the family members of elderly diabetic patients gave
family members of elderly diabetic patients’ self-confidence and feelings of being empowered to prepare appropriate foods for elderly diabetic patients.