Abstract
Background and aims: Improving health literacy among caregivers of elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus is very important. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the educational support program based on the COPE care model based on tele-nursing on the health literacy level of family caregivers of elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: Ninety family caregivers of elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Shahrekord city in 2024-2025 were included in the sampling after obtaining informed consent and then randomly divided into two intervention groups (45 people) and control (45 people). Caregivers in the intervention group participated in 6 training sessions based on the COPE model. Also, follow-ups were conducted by the researcher through WhatsApp groups for one month. The health literacy level of the samples was examined using the TOFLA Health Literacy Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS software at a significance level of less than 0.05. Results: The mean health literacy scores of caregivers between the intervention and control groups before the study were 43.72 ± 4.41 and 42.13 ± 4.35, respectively, which was not statistically significant. However, the mean health literacy scores between the intervention and control groups 3 months after the intervention were 53.86 ± 5.76 and 42.19 ± 4.38, respectively, which was statistically significant (p≤0.001). Conclusion: It is recommended that educational interventions based on the COPE model be implemented to improve the level of health literacy among caregivers of elderly people with type 2 diabetes mellitus.