Effect of a nurse-led supported self-care intervention on cardiometabolic outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND: Supported self-care interventions are increasingly used in diabetes management; however, evidence regarding their impact on cardiometabolic outcomes in primary care remains limited. OBJECTIVE: To examine changes in cardiometabolic indicators following a nurse-led supported self-care intervention in adults with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A single-group pre-post study derived from a larger quasi-experimental project was conducted between March and November 2023 at a Family Health Unit in Central-West Brazil. Participants received three monthly nurse-led supported self-care consultations and two telephone follow-ups. Clinical and anthropometric measures were assessed at baseline, during the intervention, and post-intervention, whereas HbA1c, triglycerides, TyG, and TyG-WC were assessed at baseline and post-intervention. Data were analyzed using Friedman, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and McNemar tests, as appropriate. RESULTS: Twenty-nine participants completed follow-up and were included in the final analysis. Significant reductions were observed in waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, TyG, and TyG-WC. No significant change in HbA1c was observed between baseline and post-intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The nurse-led supported self-care intervention was associated with favorable within-participant changes in selected anthropometric and cardiometabolic measures, particularly those related to central adiposity and cardiovascular risk. However, no significant improvement in HbA1c was observed. Controlled studies are needed to determine whether these changes can be attributed to the intervention.