EduDiab-Online: Uses Peer support to Improve Health Literacy in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Background: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) remains a leading contributor to premature mortality and long-term complications, particularly in Indonesia, where health literacy levels are alarmingly low. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of EduDiab-Online, a web-based diabetes education model integrated with a peer-support approach, in improving health literacy and clinical outcomes among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in community settings. Method: A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group was employed by involving 120 T2DM patients from two primary healthcare centers in Pekanbaru, Indonesia, divided equally into intervention and control groups. The intervention consisted of six weekly online educational modules combined with peer-support forums facilitated by trained peer mentors. Data were collected over four months using validated instruments assessing health literacy, self-efficacy, HbA1c, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure. Statistical analyses, including paired and independent t-tests, were performed using SPSS version 25. Result: Compared with the control group, the intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in health literacy (N-Gain = 0.61 vs. 0.08, p < 0.001), accompanied by a significantly greater increase in self-efficacy and greater reductions in HbA1c, BMI, and blood pressure (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, 88% of participants actively engaged in peer-support activities, indicating high adherence to the program. These findings suggest that EduDiab-Online is an effective and scalable community-based diabetes education model that integrates digital learning with peer support to improve both behavioral and clinical outcomes. Further studies are recommended to evaluate its long-term effectiveness and applicability to other chronic disease management programs.