Analysis of Self-care Behaviors and Its Related Factors among Diabetic Patients

Diabetes is one of the most common health problems with remarkable outcomes. Treatment and management of diabetes is mainly related to self-care status. This study aimed to analyzing self-care behaviors and its related factors in diabetic patients.
In this descriptive study, 131 diabetic patients referred to the Tuyserkan Diabetes Clinic in 2014, were studied by census method. Self-care behaviors data were collected by self-care scale of Toobert and Glasgow. Background information of diabetic patients, were investigated using pre-designed checklists based on forms in patients` records. Data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient tests. The significance level was considered to be 5%.
Out of total 131 diabetic patients, 66 persons (50.4%) were male and 65 persons (49.6%) were female. Their mean age was 51.8 years. Eight patients had heart disease complications. The mean self-care scores of the patients was 25.6 and was indicative of average level of self-care. Self-care behaviors were significantly associated with education level, employment status, type of treatment, and body mass index. There was a significant relationship between self-care components (including diet, physical activity, blood glucose testing and foot care).
Considering the self-care status of patients and the importance of self-care training for diabetics, more attention should be paid to self-care in diabetic patients in health education and health promotion programs.