To explore the effect of teach-back on the health education of osteoporosis knowledge in diabetic patients.

A total of 152 cases of diabetic patients hospitalized in endocrinology department, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University were recruited. The study subjects were divided into control group and experimental group according to the admission date, 76 cases in each group respectively. Intervention was conducted using a unified set of publicity materials and slides of osteoporosis knowledge. The routine health education was applied in the control group, and the experimental group was carried out the teach-back health education. The effect of health education was evaluated by the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test (OKT) before intervention, 1 day after intervention, and 3 months after intervention.

Before intervention, the OKT score of two groups were not statistically different (t=0.071, P=0.943). The OKT score of the control group was (19.21±3.91) points for 1 day after intervention and (16.95±4.14) points for 3 months after intervention. The OKT score of the experimental group was (21.61±2.59) points for 1 day after intervention and (20.54±3.09) points for 3 months after intervention. After intervention, the OKT score of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group, and the results were statistically different (t=4.455, 6.057, P<0.01). Repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that there were significant differences in OKT score between the two groups (P<0.01).

Teach-back health education is more beneficial for diabetic patients to understand and remember the knowledge of osteoporosis and is worth further research and application.

Diabetes mellitus; Health education; Osteoporosis; Teach-back