Promoting self-management behaviors in adolescents with type 1 diabetes, using digital storytelling: a pilot randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess the effects of digital storytelling on the self-management behavior of adolescents with type 1 diabetes (TID). METHODS: In this pilot randomized controlled clinical trial, 60 adolescents with TID were randomly allocated into two parallel groups: intervention (training with digital storytelling method, n = 33) or control (training with a conventional method, n = 33). The primary outcome was assessing the Self-Management behavior of adolescents with TID (SMOD-A) at baseline and three months after the intervention. RESULTS: The results revealed that digital storytelling could significantly improve self-management behaviors amongst adolescents with TID (P = 0.005). In contrast, in the control group, no significant changes were observed (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the mean score of Collaboration with Parents subscale was significantly higher in the digital storytelling group than in the control group after the intervention (p = 0.022). The results also showed that the level of Collaboration With Parents' subscale scores had a meaningful reverse relationship with the adolescent age after digital storytelling (p = 0.048). Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that there were significant main effects of time and group on collaboration with parents(p = 0.002) and goal subscales (p = 0.035). With respect to HbA1c levels, significant changes were not observed in any of the groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Digital storytelling is practicable and a potentially beneficial training modality for adolescents with TID. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial was respectively registered. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: IRCT20191220045828N1. Date of registration: Oct 29. 2020. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12902-022-00988-7.