Educational interventions for people with diabetes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic period: a quasi-experiment

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of educational interventions for people with diabetes in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the post-pandemic period. Method: quasi-experimental study conducted in a municipality in Paraíba, Brazil, from February to May 2023. Educational interventions with content extracted from a validated booklet were applied to 34 people with diabetes. A questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic data and to assess COVID-19 prevention practices and specific measures for diabetes management. The paired Student’s t-test was used to compare the mean scores. Results: Positive changes were observed in handwashing and antisepsis, environmental hygiene, diet adherence, physical exercise, and blood glucose levels. Conclusion: The interventions improved knowledge among participants, which modified some COVID-19 prevention practices and specific measures for diabetes management.