Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease with severe late complications and a chronic illness
such as diabetes has effect on self concept. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of quality of life education
on self concept of patients with type 2 diabetes.
Methods: This investigation was a random controlled clinical trial study on 123 type 2 diabetes patients admitted
to clinic of diabetes in Imam Khomeini Hospital at Ardebil. They diagnosed that 30 up to 70 years old participants are
afflicted with type 2 diabetes; randomly divided them in 61 people of case group and 62 people of control group. The
questionnaires were composed of socio-demographic status, Beck’s self concept test, Rosenberg’s Self-esteem and
Body image questionnaires and quality of life education plan was codified to educate and evaluate them. P<0.05 is
acceptable for all of these tests.
Results: The study showed that participants in case group had low self concept (%29.6), low self esteem(13%) and
moderate body image (34.8%) before QOL education and after the intervention increased their self concept (%49.2),
self esteem(39%) and decreased their body image (28.6%) , but control group had moderate self concept (43.6%),
moderate self esteem (62.5%) and low body image (14.9%) in pre-test and changed to low self concept (20.9%), low
self esteem (12.9%) and low body image (29%) in post-test, and there was significant difference in before and after the
intervention(P<0.05).
Conclusion: Patients with type 2diabetes often have negative self-concepts, feel hopeless and, therefore, become
lax about following their regimen. This study shows that quality of life education can have positive effect on diabetes
self concept, and prevent physical and side effects of type 2 diabetes
