Effects of collaborative learning-based food literacy program on healthy eating behavior and hemoglobin A1c among older adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial study in Thailand

Uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a prevalent issue among older adults. Healthy eating behavior (HEB) is a significant factor contributing to blood sugar control. It is a complex behavior that requires knowledge, attitudes, and skills in food literacy, which can be achieved through collaborative learning by nurses. Although collaborative learning has successfully improved food literacy and HEB among adults and older adults in general, its effectiveness has not been investigated among older adults with uncontrolled T2DM. This randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the effects of the Collaborative Learning-Based Food Literacy Enhancement Program (CLFLEP) on HEB and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels among older adults with uncontrolled T2DM. Participants were 80 older adults with uncontrolled T2DM attending primary care units (PCUs) or sub-district health promotion hospitals in northern Thailand. They were randomly assigned to either the experimental group ( = 40) or the control group ( = 40). The experimental group received the CLFLEP to enhance four domains of food literacy through five major elements of collaborative learning, while the control group received standard care. Data were collected between January and June 2023 using the Demographic Data Form, the Eating Behavior Questionnaire, the HbA1c test, and the Short Food Literacy Questionnaire. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics for demographic characteristics and independent -test and paired sample -test for HEB and HbA1c based on intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) analyses. The experimental group had a higher HEB score than the control group (