Journal of Clinical Care and Skills

Aims: Type 1 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic diseases in childhood and can substantially impair children’s physical, psychological, and social well-being. Self-care education based on Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Nursing Theory may improve disease management and health-related quality of life; however, evidence in pediatric populations remains limited.
Materials & Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2024 among 60 children with type 1 diabetes mellitus who attended Bu Ali Educational and Treatment Center and diabetes clinics affiliated with Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and assigned to an intervention group (n=30) or a control group (n=30). The intervention group received a four-session, Orem-based self-care education program tailored to individual self-care needs, whereas the control group received routine diabetes education. Health-related quality of life was assessed using the Child Health Questionnaire before the intervention and four weeks afterward. Data were analyzed using SPSS 26 and paired and independent t-tests.
Findings: Baseline health-related quality of life scores were comparable between the two groups. Following the intervention, children in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in multiple health-related quality of life domains, including mental health, self-esteem, physical functioning, role performance, general health, parental emotional concerns, and parental activity limitations (all p<0.05). In contrast, no significant changes were observed in the control group.
Conclusion: Orem-based self-care education highly improves health-related quality of life among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.