The effect of the healthy lifestyle ‘empowerment program’ on care burden and adherence to health-promoting behaviours on mothers of children with type 1 diabetes

Mothers caring for children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) face significant care burdens requiring effective interventions. This study evaluated the impact of a Healthy Lifestyle Empowerment Program (HLEP) on care burden and adherence to health-promoting behaviours in these mothers. In this experimental study in Tehran (2024), 64 mothers of children with T1D were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 32) and control (n = 32) groups. The intervention group participated in four weekly 45-60-min educational sessions focusing on health-promoting behaviours. Data were collected using the Caregiver Burden Index (CBI) and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II) at baseline, immediately after and 12 weeks post-intervention. Data were analysed using SPSS v.18. The intervention group showed a significant reduction in care burden immediately and 12 weeks after HLEP (p = 0.311), while their health-promoting behaviours improved significantly over time (p = 0.027). Conversely, the control group experienced increased care burden (p = 0.000) and decreased health-promoting behaviours (p = 0.017). HLEP effectively reduced the care burden and enhanced health-promoting behaviours among mothers of children with T1D. The incorporation of such empowerment programs into healthcare services is recommended to support caregivers managing chronic illnesses.