Short-term effect evaluation of self-management group projects for chronic disease patients in Suzhou / 公共卫生与预防医学

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the short-term effect of self-management group project for chronic disease patients in Suzhou. Methods Eight to ten streets / towns were randomly selected from 10 cities and districts under the jurisdiction of Suzhou. Each street / town set up a chronic disease self-management group and carried out group activities. The awareness rate of chronic disease related knowledge, health management behavior and health status of the group members after and before the activities were compared to evaluate the short-term effect of the self-management group project. Results A total of 89 chronic disease self-management groups were set up in Suzhou in 2020. Among them, there were 47 hypertension groups and 42 diabetes groups. A total of 1176 people were surveyed at baseline, and 1161 people participated in the evaluation survey after the group activities. By setting up self-management groups, the awareness rates of chronic disease-related knowledge (BMI range, variety of food intake per day per week, moderate-intensity activity time per week, daily salt intake, harm of excessive salt intake, diagnostic criteria for hypertension, sodium content in low sodium salt, fasting blood glucose criteria, low-density lipoprotein control targets) in hypertension and diabetes patients after the intervention were improved compared with those before the intervention, and the differences were statistically significant (P“self-monitoring blood pressure” increased from 52.80% before the intervention to 66.32%, while the proportion of "having a blood glucose monitoring system at home" increased from 52.80% before the intervention to 66.32%, and the proportion of “self-monitoring blood glucose” increased from 25.67% before the intervention to 38.67%. The percentage of "drinking alcohol in the past 30 days" dropped from 12.14% before the intervention to 8.35%. All these differences were statistically significant. There was no difference in the number of "smoking in the past 30 days" compared with before the activity (P≥0.05). The number of days with poor health resulting from injuries in the past 30 days also decreased but the difference was not statistically significant (P≥0.05). In terms of the severity of depression, the number of people with moderate and severe depression decreased after the intervention, and the number of people who turned into mild depression increased, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion The self-management group project for chronic disease patients in Suzhou has achieved good results and is suitable for continued promotion and application in this region.