The effect of patient education through social media on the level of anxiety associated with Covid-19 in patients with diabetes: A single-blind clinical trial

Background and Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused numerous psychological problems, especially anxiety, in patients with diabetes as a group with increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Patient education in this area can be a good way to reduce the psychological burden of these patients. This study aimed to determine the effect of patient education through social media on the COVID-19-related anxiety in patients with diabetes. Materials & Methods: This is a single-blind clinical trial, in which 113 patients with diabetes were recruited using convenience sampling and then divided into two groups of experimental (n = 58) and control (n = 55) using simple random allocation. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire and Corona Disease Anxiety Scale (CDAS). COVID-19-related patient education was provided for the intervention group at a two-week period, while the control group only received routine care. Data were entered into SPSS software version 26 and then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in terms of demographic characteristics and the mean score of COVID-19-related anxiety between the two groups before the intervention (p > .05). This difference in the mean score of COVID-19-related anxiety was not found to be significant between the two groups after the intervention (p > .05). There was also a statistically significant difference between the mean score of COVID-19-related anxiety at measurement points of before and after the intervention in the experimental group (p < .05). Conclusion: Educational intervention through social network leads to a slight reduction in COVID-19-related anxiety in diabetic patients. Therefore, social media is suggested as a suitable and accessible method for COVID-19-related patient education.