Inclusion criteria:
Age between 12 and 18 years at the time of entry into the study.
Definitive diagnosis of type 1 diabetes mellitus by a pediatric endocrinologist based on standard diagnostic criteria.
At least 6 months of documented history of type 1 diabetes to ensure familiarity of the adolescent and family with disease management principles.
Receiving insulin therapy as the primary treatment regimen.
Regular follow-up at the diabetes clinic or pediatric endocrinology center during the study period.
Having at least one parent or primary caregiver (mother, father, or legal guardian) willing and able to participate in the family-centered empowerment program.
Absence of acute or chronic comorbid conditions that could affect diabetes self-management ability, participation in educational sessions, or outcome evaluations.
Ability of both the adolescent and parent/caregiver to communicate effectively and comprehend the educational content provided in the intervention sessions.
Ability to read, write, and comprehend educational materials and complete the study questionnaires.
No participation in similar structured diabetes education, self-management promotion programs, or family-centered empowerment interventions within the past 6 months.
Providing written informed consent by parents or legal guardians along with written informed assent from the adolescent prior to study enrollment.
Exclusion criteria:
Occurrence of acute medical complications: Development of acute diabetes complications (such as severe diabetic ketoacidosis or hypoglycemia requiring emergency intervention) or any other acute underlying illness leading to prolonged hospitalization that prevents active participation in the study.
Non-adherence to the intervention protocol: Absence from more than one-third (or more than two sessions) of the educational intervention sessions or failure to perform the activities and follow-ups specified in the empowerment model.
Voluntary withdrawal: The desire of the parent or adolescent to withdraw from the study at any stage of the research process.
Major changes in the treatment regimen: Implementation of significant and unusual changes in the adolescent’s medication/treatment protocol outside of the routine clinic plan during the intervention period.
Migration or loss to follow-up: Change of residence, lack of response to follow-ups, or inability to establish communication for post-test evaluations.