The Effect of a Culturally Oriented Educational Intervention for Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle Based on Iranian-Islamic Culture on the Improvement of Quality of Life in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

This study aimed to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally oriented educational package for promoting a healthy lifestyle on the quality of life of patients with type 2 diabetes. A mixed-methods design (qualitative–quantitative) was employed. In the qualitative phase, the educational package was developed and its content validity confirmed through expert review and inter-rater agreement indices. In the quantitative phase, a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group and a three-month follow-up was applied. Thirty patients with type 2 diabetes (15 experimental, 15 control) were selected by convenience sampling. The WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire, with good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.82), assessed quality of life. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) and Bonferroni post hoc tests with SPSS. The experimental group demonstrated significant improvements in overall quality of life and its physical, psychological, social, and environmental dimensions at both posttest and follow-up compared to baseline (P<0.001). Effect sizes were large and sustained (η² = 0.93 at posttest and 0.91 at follow-up). No meaningful changes occurred in the control group. The culturally oriented healthy lifestyle educational package is a valid and effective intervention for improving the quality of life in patients with type 2 diabetes and can be implemented in educational and clinical care programs for chronic conditions.