THE EFFECT OF HEALTH BELIEF MODEL BASED WEB EDUCATION ON DIABETIC FOOT CARE KNOWLEDGE, BEHAVIOURS AND SELF-EFFICACY IN INDIVIDUALS WITH TYPE 2 DIABETES

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of web training based on the Health Belief Model on knowledge, behavior and self-efficacy in diabetic foot care in individuals with type 2 diabetes who are at low risk of diabetic foot problems. Method: The study, conducted as a randomized controlled trial at a Family Health Center between December 2021 and May 2023, included 142 individuals with type 2 diabetes (71 in the experimental group and 71 in the control group), as determined by power analysis. The experimental group received web-based training in six modules, one every two weeks, based on the Health Belief Model, followed by a 3-month follow-up. Results: The descriptive characteristics (gender, age, education, etc.) and disease-related variables (presence of other chronic diseases, diabetes treatment type, etc.) of both experimental and control groups were found to be homogeneous (p>0.05). In the analyses conducted according to the hypotheses, post-intervention diabetic foot knowledge scores (t=7.582; p=0.001), foot care behavior scores (t=3.125; p=0.002), and self-efficacy scores (t=4.337; p=0.001) showed statistically significant increases in the experimental group compared to the control group. In within-group comparisons, significant differences were observed between pre-test and post-test scores in the experimental group regarding knowledge level (t=-7.382; p=0.001), behaviors (t=-2.100; p=0.039), and self-efficacy (t=-3.198; p=0.002), while no significant changes were detected in the control group (p>0.05). Conclusion: This study shows that web education based on the Health Belief Model is effective in increasing foot care knowledge, behaviours and self-efficacy of individuals with low-risk type 2 diabetes. Nurses can improve care behaviours and manage patient care more effectively by providing accessible trainings to their patients through digital education methods. Digital trainings provide an important contribution to the literature by demonstrating that it can be an effective tool in nursing practice and its potential to improve patients' care behaviours.