Diabetes Self-management and Its Related Factors among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Primary Health Care Settings of Kerman, Southeast Iran
Ali Khalooei *
Social Determinants of Health Research Centre, Institute for Futures Studies in Health, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Lila Benrazavy
Department of Community Medicine, Kerman Medical School, 22 Bahman Blvd, Postal code/ P.O.Box: 7616914115, Kerman, Iran.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aims: Diabetes self-management (DSM) plays a crucial role in diabetes control. The present study was conducted to evaluate DSM and its related factors among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among T2DM patients from January to March 2017 in urban healthcare centers of Kerman city, southeast Iran. A total of 600 T2DM patients were enrolled in the study using a multistage sampling method. Valid and reliable diabetes self-management questionnaire (DSMQ) was employed for data collection.
Results: The mean (±SD) score of DSM was 6.92 (±1.17) out of 10 with inter quartile range 6.25-7.70. DSM mean score was higher in patients with higher educational level and household income significantly. Employed subjects (mean=7.18) had a higher DSM mean score than unemployed ones (mean=6.84). Moreover, DSM was better in patients who receive insulin and those with diabetes-related complications. DSM had a direct correlation with the number of visits by specialist physicians (r = 0.257, P < 0.001) and treatment duration (r = 0.103, P = 0.013). University education (Beta = 0.243, P < 0.001) was the strongest predictor of DMS, followed by high school education (Beta = 0.226, P < 0.001) and number of annual visits in primary healthcare centers (Beta = 0.205, P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Self-Management behaviors were suboptimal among the diabetes patients. There-fore, designing and implementing effective interventions to improve self-care behaviors of diabetic patients is necessary in the first level of health delivery system in Iran.
Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, self-management, self care, Iran.