Effectiveness of Family-Centered Diabetes Prevention through Risk Education in Indonesia

Aim: This study assessed the effectiveness of diabetes risk education in improving knowledge and promoting preventive behaviors among family members of diabetes patients enrolled in Indonesia’s Chronic Disease Management Program, PROLANIS. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test and post-test study involving 52 first-degree relatives of the program patients was conducted at a private primary care clinic in Yogyakarta. Knowledge was measured using a 10-item questionnaire, diabetes risk was assessed with the Indonesian version of the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score, and preventive behaviors were evaluated using a checklist four weeks post-intervention. Data were analyzed using paired t-tests and Cohen’s d. Results: The mean knowledge score increased significantly from 79.68±11.13 to 93.05±10.10, with a large effect size (Cohen’s d=1.26). All participants completed blood glucose screening, 92.3% modified their diet, 80.8% increased physical activity, and 67.3% did both. Most were categorized as having a low or slightly increased risk for diabetes. Conclusion: Diabetes risk education effectively improves knowledge and fosters preventive actions in high-risk families. Integrating such education into primary care may enhance early prevention strategies. Further studies with longer follow-ups are recommended. Keywords: health education, primary prevention, type 2 diabetes mellitus, family, chronic disease