Pre-/-post-analyses of a feasibility study of a peer-based club intervention among people living with type 2 diabetes in Vietnam’s rural communities

Objectives Insufficient self-management is a significant barrier for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) to achieve glycemic control and consequently reduce the risk of acute and long-term diabetes complications, negatively affecting their quality of life and increasing their risk of diabetes-related death. This pre-post study aimed to evaluate whether a peer-based club intervention might reduce glycated hemoglobin from baseline to post-intervention and enhance self-management among people living with T2D in two rural communities in Vietnam. Methods A pre-post study was implemented with 222 adults with T2D residing in two rural communities in Vietnam. We used a structured questionnaire, clinical examination, and glycated hemoglobin to evaluate the possible effects of a diabetes club intervention by comparing Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c), Body Mass Index (BMI), Blood Pressure (BP), and diabetes-related self-management behaviors at baseline and post-intervention. The data were analyzed using SPSS 20, applying two related sample tests (Wilcoxon and McNemar test) and a paired-sample t-test at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results The findings indicated that after implementation of the intervention, there were no significant statistical differences when comparing pre-and post-intervention levels of the primary outcome HbA1c, but some components of diabetes self-management showed statistically significant improvement. Conclusions After the peer support intervention in a Vietnamese rural community, there was no significant reduction in the primary outcome proportion of patients having an HbA1c less than 7%, but foot care knowledge and practice had improved.