Sustainable effects of a hybrid self-care education program on diet quality and cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic conditions: A randomized controlled trial
Background: Inadequately managed chronic diseases heighten cardiovascular risk. Improved dietary habits are crucial for risk reduction and enhanced patient health. This study evaluated the sustained impact of a hybrid self-care education program on diet quality and cardiovascular risk in patients wi...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Cardiology. Cardiovascular Risk and Prevention |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772487525001175 |
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| Summary: | Background: Inadequately managed chronic diseases heighten cardiovascular risk. Improved dietary habits are crucial for risk reduction and enhanced patient health. This study evaluated the sustained impact of a hybrid self-care education program on diet quality and cardiovascular risk in patients with chronic conditions. Methods: In this 2023 randomized controlled trial in Saravan, Iran, 150 patients with chronic conditions were enrolled. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 75) or a control group (n = 75). Data were collected using a self-care nutrition questionnaire and the Mini-EAT. The intervention group received a one-month hybrid self-care education program integrating the Teach-Back method with digital education, followed by monthly follow-ups. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 with repeated measures ANOVA, one-way ANOVA, independent t-tests, and chi-square tests (statistical significance: p < 0.05). Follow-up assessments occurred at 3 and 12 months post-intervention. Results: Post-intervention, nutritional self-care scores in the intervention group increased significantly from baseline (11.90) to 3 months (24.12) and remained stable at 12 months (23.74; p < 0.001). No comparable change occurred in controls. Diet quality improved markedly: the proportion with unhealthy diets decreased from 98.67 % to 49.34 %, while adherence to healthy diets rose from 0 % to 13.33 % (p < 0.001). At the 12-month follow-up, statistically significant reductions were observed across all key cardiovascular risk metrics: systolic blood pressure decreased from 142.21 mmHg to 132.22 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure from 104.70 mmHg to 92.16 mmHg, fasting blood glucose from 212.66 mg/dL to 151.48 mg/dL, and BMI from 27.91 kg/m2 to 25.32 kg/m2 (all p < 0.001). Conclusion: The integrated Teach-Back and digital education intervention produced sustained improvements in nutritional self-care, diet quality, and cardiovascular risk factors among patients with chronic conditions. Effect durability at 12 months underscores the value of ongoing follow-up in educational strategies. These findings support integrating digital education into health promotion programs to reinforce self-care behaviors and improve clinical outcomes. |
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| ISSN: | 2772-4875 |