Diabetes mellitus is a chronic non-communicable disease that continues to increase globally and poses serious health challenges. Effective management requires not only medical treatment but also strong family support to ensure adherence to self-care behaviors. This study aimed to analyze the effect of developing supportive-educative family groups on adaptive behavior and self-care independence of patients with diabetes mellitus through the implementation of five pillars of diabetes management: education, medical nutrition therapy, physical activity, pharmacological therapy, and self-monitoring of blood glucose. This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the working area of Simbarwaringin Primary Health Care, Lampung Tengah, involving 157 respondents. The sample consisted of 72 family members in the intervention group and 85 in the control group, selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using the modified Diabetes Social Support Questionnaire-Family and analyzed with paired-sample t-test and independent two-sample t-test. The results showed a significant improvement in family supportive-educative behavior after the intervention in the intervention group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Family support improved significantly in nutrition management, physical activity, pharmacological therapy adherence, stress management, and self-monitoring of blood glucose. Moreover, the proportion of patients with random blood glucose >200 mg/dl decreased from 59.7% to 29.2% in the intervention group, while it remained high in the control group. In conclusion, supportive-educative family group intervention was proven effective in enhancing family support, patient adaptive behavior, and self-care independence, thereby contributing to better glycemic control among patients with diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), Family Caregivers, Educational Intervention, Support