With an impact of over 300 million people worldwide,
diabetes has become the fastest developing
chronic disease (1). Despite cases of
unreported causes of death in the United States, diabetes
(T2DM) was still noted as the seventh leading cause of
death in 2006 (2). Lifestyle behavior changes are required
for management of this condition, including physical
activity, dietary changes, monitoring blood glucose levels,
and adherence to medication (3). The quality of life of
someone living with T2DM can be greatly improved with
the implementation of self-management education to help
them manage the condition (2). Similar to how continuing
education is essential for healthcare providers, there must
also be continuous education for the person that is battling
T2DM (4). According to the American Association of
Diabetes Educators 7 Self-Care Behaviors framework,
people with T2DM should be skilled in self-care behaviors
that improve their quality of life while reducing associated
complications of this condition (5). The skills needed to
accomplish this include the following: monitoring of blood
glucose levels; monitoring of blood pressure; eliminating
smoking; foot self-checks; and routine eye, foot, and dental
exams (5). Self-care management has the capacity to
reduce the gap between patient needs and available health
care services to meet those needs (6). Health care providers
must equip patients with the tools needed to effectively
monitor their blood glucose levels, maintain any dietary
restrictions, and be active participants in their individual
self-care to control their disease (7