Günay DEMİR, Yasemin ATİK-ALTINOK, Yelda MANSUROĞLU, Emrullah ARSLAN, Samim ÖZEN, Şükran DARCAN, Damla GÖKŞEN
The Journal of Pediatric Research - 2026;13(2):122-127
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the impact of remote education provided to parents of children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on parental knowledge of diabetes care and the children's metabolic control. Materials and Methods: This research was conducted with 32 children (aged 2-15 years) and their parents (remote education: n=16; face-to-face education: n=16). Structured diabetes education consisting of eight modules was conducted over an average of 12+/-2.5 days. At the end of the education and 3 months later, HbA1c values, parental knowledge levels, and 3-day food diaries were evaluated. Results: At the 3-month follow-up, the median diabetes knowledge score was significantly higher in the remote education group [32 (interquartile range (IQR): 4.5)] compared to the face-to-face group [30.5 (IQR: 3.75)] (p=0.020). Baseline HbA1c levels were 11.4% (IQR: 1.7) for G1 (the remote education group) and 12.4% (IQR: 2.3) for G2 (The face-to-face education group) (p=0.262). By the 3rd month, these levels decreased significantly to 7% (IQR: 0.8) and 6.9% (IQR: 1.3), respectively, with no significant difference between the groups (p=0.862). Energy and macronutrient intakes were similar in both groups at baseline and at the 3rd month, meeting national and international recommendations. Paternal participation was markedly higher in the remote group compared to the face-to-face group (50% vs. 6.25%). Conclusion: The remote education model is an effective method which can be integrated into diabetes management.
