Abstract

Prevalence of diabetes is increasing worldwide. Education is regarded as an essential part in diabetes care to enable people with diabetes self-care. Self-care in diabetes can be demanding and it is regarded impossible to separate treatment and education. Clinical guidelines in diabetes care recommend using empowerment approach in diabetes education. The empowerment approach emphasizes that people with diabetes are assisted to make informed decisions. Instruments measuring knowledge, self-care, empowerment, well-being and distress were translated into Icelandic, according to internationally accepted guidelines. The questionnaires were tested in a cross-sectional study and used in an educational intervention study. It was found that the instruments are practical and useful and can be used in clinical practice in Iceland. It is argued that in diabetes care, health care practitioners should make more use of appointed instruments that enable them to focus their care on specific needs of each person. The care should be based on answers from the instruments and goals which people with diabetes choose to work towards. The education should be based on the empowerment approach.