NCT07298837

Turtle Therapy on HbA1c and Self-Efficacy Levels With Type 2 Diabetes

The Effect of Turtle Therapy on HbA1c and Self-Efficacy Levels in Diabetes Medication Use in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Study

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 51 (actual)
• Sponsor: Karadeniz Technical University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study examined the effect of live and video turtle therapy on hemoglobin A1c tests and self-efficacy levels in adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus for the first time using pre-test and post-test methods.

Detailed description

In the international literature reviewed, only two studies reported that pet therapy reduced hemoglobin A1c tests and increased self-efficacy in adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus. One study examined the use of live fish (repeated care behaviors during pet care, such as feeding twice a day and cleaning the aquarium). In the other study, adolescents who owned different types of pets (dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, rodents, etc.) were included in the study. In this context, our study will be the first study conducted in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus using live and video turtle therapy at the national and international level. With the theoretical clarification of the methodological steps, this study, which has methodological characteristics, is unique in that it compares live animal (turtle) and video animal (turtle video) therapy in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, making it a pet therapy study conducted both nationally and internationally in both turtles and individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Within the scope of all this information, this study examined the effect of live and video turtle therapy on hemoglobin A1c and self-efficacy levels in adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Conditions

• Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
• Pet-Human Bonding

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Live Turtle Therapy (Pet therapy)	The individuals were asked to take on the responsibility of caring for the turtles. The patients in this group were given one turtle and the necessary materials (aquarium, food, aquarium sand, etc.) for 12 weeks. Within this scope, patients fed the turtles twice a day, once in the morning (08:00) and once in the evening (20:00), and changed the water in the aquarium every two days with water that had been kept at room temperature beforehand. In addition, they were asked to spend 20 minutes a day with the turtle. During the twelve-week (3-month) period in which the individuals took responsibility for turtle care, the "Turtle Monitoring Form" was administered by the executor to evaluate the time spent with the turtle and the implementation of practices related to how they performed turtle care.
BEHAVIORAL	Video Turtle Therapy (Pet therapy)	In addition, the consultant faculty member provided approximately 15 minutes of face-to-face information to patients regarding watching the turtle videos. Patients in this group were asked to watch documentaries featuring turtle videos for at least 20 minutes a day for twelve weeks. The "Turtle Viewing Form" was administered by the researcher to determine how many minutes per day the individuals watched the turtle videos.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-07-18
• Primary completion: 2024-08-01
• Completion: 2024-11-01
• First posted: 2025-12-23
• Last updated: 2025-12-23

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Turkey (Türkiye)