Using Augmented Reality to improve Nutritional Educational for Type 1 Diabetic Children and Adolescents: Quantitative study of Patient Knowledge Retention

Introduction: Diabetes therapeutic education assists patients in taking responsibility for self-management of their condition, and technology support systems promote this education. In this study, we introduce augmented reality (AR) as an instructional tool to supplement therapeutic education for diabetic patients. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate two educational approaches used within the clinic: Augmented reality (AR) and traditional educational methods. The objective is to determine which one has a better impact on nutrition knowledge improvement by using the Nutritional Diabetes Knowledge Survey (NKS) score. Method: A total of 65 children and adolescent patients with Type 1 Diabetes, aged 10-16 years old, currently receiving healthcare services at the KAMC-R nutrition diabetes clinic, were invited to choose type of education for Carbohydrate counting (AR or traditional education method) and complete a diabetes nutrition knowledge survey before the education and after. The difference between scores with a higher percentage change indicate better diabetes nutrition knowledge. Results: We discovered that the children who participated in the study had an average level of knowledge regarding nutrition (a mean of 8.98 out of a score of 23). This suggests that diabetic patients require therapeutic education. When the findings of the pre-knowledge questionnaire and the post-knowledge questionnaire were compared, it was discovered that the children learned more about carbohydrate dietary choices by watching AR videos with a p-value <.0001 than by using traditional educational methods. Furthermore, the gained information was independent of gender or age. This AR instructional tool has the potential to be a significant therapeutic education tool for diabetic patients. Conclusion: This study revealed a positive impact of using a digitalized educational method (AR) on the patient’s diabetes nutrition knowledge, specifically in relation to carbohydrate counting.