Background: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) for patients with
type 2 diabetes requires efficient teaching methods that make patients want to
change lifestyle in terms of their diabetes. The study looks at what may be the
active ingredient in this DSME. Objective: To explore how participants in
DSME, with an interactive learning method, experienced changes in relation
to diet and physical activity. Method: We studied possible changes in diet and
physical activity by semi-structured individual interviews of 16 participants
attending DSME. Results: Before the DSME, the participants felt insecure
about what to eat, and they expressed little interest in changing their physical
activity. Just after the DSME, they were more optimistic about diet because
they had learned how to interpret food labels and compose their meals. Furthermore,
they had experienced the benefit of physical activity in relation to
their blood glucose levels. Behavior changes appeared to persist the following
half year. We discuss the findings in light of the principles of interactive
learning. The participants experienced an effect of their behavior changes, and
blood glucose measurement was used as a tool to gain control and reach a
state of well-being. Conclusion: From being insecure about what to eat, the
patients acquired knowledge to handle their diet through the DSME. They
learned how to compose their meals and use physical activity to regulate their
blood glucose. We suggest that the interactive learning used in the DSME was
an active ingredient that led to changes in behavior and should be considered
as an educational method in DSME for patient with type 2 diabetes.