Abd Elghaffar’s scientific contributions

Technology can assist with the provision of tailored and personalized education, feedback, and goal setting, thereby facilitating patients' sense of empowerment and communication and educate people with diabetes in managing their own health. Aim: to assess the effect of web-based diabetes education on the self-empowerment among university students with type 1 diabetes. Materials and Method: Quasi-experimental pre/post-test (case/control) research design. The study was carried out in diabetes clinic at different specialty clinics affiliated to Alexandria University; the total sample was 110 university students. Data was collected through using the Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF) 8-items Likert-type rating scale to measure psychosocial self-efficacy of people with diabetes. Results: the study group's levels of self-empowerment to carry out diabetes self-management activities has improved as shown in their positive attitude from the pre-intervention stage through post-intervention and follow up stages (72.7%, 88.0%, and 96.0%, respectively). Conclusion and Recommendations: it is essential to provide standardized technology-based diabetes teaching in primary healthcare institutions. Also, by implementing new and creative technologies, young people with type 1 diabetes must get organized diabetes education that is age-appropriate and of high quality. Self-empowerment is grounded on awareness and the knowledge that people can take actions to improve their lives on their own behalf. Diabetes education is recognized as significant in the care of people with diabetes mellitus. Hence, appropriate treatment of people with diabetes has the potential to reduce hospitalizations and delay or prevent the onset of complications of diabetes. Additionally, Learning how to deal with the disease and keeping the blood glucose within suitable levels have become the greatest challenge for diabetics, pointing out the importance of patient education as a self-empowerment treatment modality necessary for improving the quality of life in these patients. In this regard, trained nurses play a critical role in empowering patients to better manage diabetes through self-care and improving the quality of life of these patients through providing them and their families with the required information and consultations. Design: this quasi-experimental pre/post-test (case/control) study was conducted to assess the effect of web-based diabetes education on the self-empowerment among university students with type 1 diabetes. Subjects: university students with type 1 diabetes. Setting: diabetes clinic at different specialty clinics affiliated to Alexandria university. Sampling technique: purposive sample of 110 students who receiving follow up care at diabetes clinic at different specialty clinics were included. The study sample was randomly assigned to one of two groups, 55 students was control group, and the other 55 students was intervention group. The study group received an interactive web-based diabetes self-empowerment education program, while the control group received routine care at the clinic. Tools: Socio demographic characteristics and health status. Diabetes Empowerment Scale-Short Form (DES-SF): an 8-items Likert-type rating scale used to measure psychosocial self-efficacy of people with diabetes (> 3.0) was interpreted as a higher level of self-empowerment. The control group just got standard treatment from the clinic, whereas the study group participated in web-based diabetes education program. With the help of PHP programming, an experimental website was built utilizing the free and open-source WordPress Content Management System. According to data analysis, the outcomes may be summed up as follows: • In terms of family history, fewer than half of the group under study had first-degree relatives who had diabetes. • Less than half of the students in the current sample had diabetes for ten years or more. Nevertheless, the range of years of experience with diabetes was from less than five to at least fifteen. • Almost all of the signs and symptoms of diabetes were present in more than half of the students at the time of diagnosis. Nevertheless, less than fifth of the sample had a diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at the time of the initial presentation. (Figure1) • More than half of the studied group had a body mass index (BMI) between the normal range (18.5-24.9 kg/m2). • Regarding the distribution of the studied groups according to their scores of diabetes empowerment scale. The empowerment mean scores of pre-intervention was 3.491.9344, post intervention was 3.745.9244, and follow up 3.907.7007, it was observed that the study group's levels of self-empowerment to carry out diabetes self-management activities has improved as shown in their positive attitude from the pre-intervention stage through post-intervention and follow up stages (72.7%, 88.0%, and 96.0%, respectively).Table (1) Based upon the results of the present study, it could be concluded that: The web-based diabetes educational program had positive impacts on students' self-empowerment regarding diabetes self-management. In addition, it plays a significant role in motivating the students to adopt healthy lifestyle. • Age-appropriate, quality-assured structured diabetes education for young people with type 1 diabetes must be provided using cutting-edge technology (e.g., computer-based education, short message service (SMS), mobile, and web-based education), customized to their learning preferences, and sustained for a longer period of time. • People with Diabetes should be engaged in the development and design of technology solutions. • Health care professionals should be empowered and trained to use technology to educate patients about diabetes and provide treatment for them.