The use of self-efficacy enhancing methods in diabetes education in the Netherlands

According to the social cognitive theory of Bandura, self-efficacy predicts behavorial change. Bandura notes that self-efficacy is based on four major sources of information: performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and self-evaluation. This exploratory study examined the use of these four sources of information by Dutch nurse diabetes educators to enhance self-efficacy among people with diabetes mellitus. A survey questionnaire was sent to all Dutch nurse members of the European Association of Diabetes Educators (EADE) asking about the use of self-efficacy-enhancing methods, and four different educational programs were observed. Survey respondents said that performance accomplishments and verbal persuasion were often used, vicarious experience was hardly ever used, and the use of self-evaluation varied. The observations gave a different picture: only verbal persuasion was observed often; the other three sources were hardly ever used. Clearly, self-efficacy-enhancing educational methods are not systematically used in the Netherlands and there is little variety in the methods used. More varied methods of enhancing self-efficacy need to be developed and implemented in diabetes education programs.