Nurse-led social media-based education in diabetic patients: Effects on COVID-19 fear and self-care - A 6-month follow-up trial

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effect of nurse-led, social media-based patient education on COVID-19-associated fear and self-care in diabetic patients throughout a six-month follow-up period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A single-blind randomized controlled trial. A total of 113 diabetic patients were recruited using convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the intervention group (n = 58) or control group (n = 55). Data were collected using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the Self-Care in COVID-19 Scale (SCOVID) at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at two- and six-month follow-ups. The intervention group received a four-week COVID-19-related patient education program via social media, while the control group only received routine care. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, N.Y., USA).<br /> RESULTS: No significant differences in fear or self-care scores were observed between the groups at baseline (P > 0.05). However, the intervention group exhibited significant improvements in both fear and self-care scores at all post-intervention time points compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The reduction in fear scores was more pronounced between T1 (immediately after the intervention) and T2 (two months after the intervention), whereas it remained relatively stable between T2 and T3 (six months after the intervention). This indicated a sustained intervention effect over time.<br /> CONCLUSION: Social media-based nurse-led education effectively reduces COVID-19-associated fear and improves self-care in diabetic patients, with benefits sustained for up to six months. This approach is recommended for accessible, scalable patient education during pandemics.