This study was conducted to develop and to test the effects of an educational program for coping with problem situations as a nursing intervention in the diabetic patient.

A non-equivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used in this study. Data were collected from January to March, 2002. The subjects of the study consisted of 31 diabetic patients(experimental group : 17 patients, control group : 14 patients). The intervention of an educational program for coping with problem situations was applied to the experimental group for 4weeks(total 8 hours). Data were collected before the educational program, immediately after and 1 months later and were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA, t-test, and paired t-test.

1. There was a significant difference in self efficacy between the experimental and control groups (F=13.793, p=0.001). 2. There was a significant difference in self care behavior between the experimental and control groups (F=4.583, p=0.041). 3. There was a significant difference in coping behavior of the problem situation between the experimental and control groups (F=62.018, p=0.000). There was a significant difference according to experimental stages(F=4.546, p=0.015) and interaction between education and experimental stages(F=12.039, p=0.000). 4. There was a significant difference in glycemic control between the experimental and control groups (t=-3.112, p=0.004).

These results support that a diabetic educational program for coping with problem situations is effective in promoting and maintaining self efficacy, self care behavior, problem coping behaviors and in improving glycemic control. Thus this program can be recommended as an effective nursing intervention of in-depth education for diabetic patient.