The Effect of Education Based on Kolb's Learning Style on Self-care Behaviors of the Elderly with Type II Diabetes: A Randomized, Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Individualized patient education can help older people with diabetes to improve their self-care behaviors and effectively manage their disease. Identifying patients' preferred learning style can be a useful way to optimize learning opportunities. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of education based on Kolb's learning style on self-care behaviors of older people with type II diabetes. METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted on 62 older adults with type II diabetes referred to the diabetes center of Imam Reza Hospital in Bojnourd, Iran, from May to November 2020. Participants who met the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated into two groups of intervention (n=34) and control (n=28). Participants in intervention group received the educational intervention based on their learning style (described by Kolb as accommodating, diverging, converging and assimilating) in four 45 minutes-sessions (two sessions per week). In the control group, the same educational content was presented with a lecture and a booklet. Participants in both groups completed the self-care questionnaires before and one month after the intervention. RESULTS: The mean self-care scores of the older adult patients with type II diabetes based on Kolb's learning style after the educational intervention in the intervention and control groups were 58.15 (SD=10.71) and 44.7 (SD=12.12), respectively (P<0.001). Accommodating Kolb's learning style-based education was most effective in improving self-care practice in older adult patients with type II diabetes (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Education based on Kolb's learning style is effective in improving self-care behaviors of older people with type II diabetes. Therefore, it is suggested to consider Kolb's learning style in the educational process of older adults with type II diabetes to improve self-care practice in these patients.