The Relationship of Self-efficacy and Demographic Characteristics With Blood Glucose Control in Iranian Older Adults With Diabetes Type II: A Cross-Sectional Study

The present study was conducted to investigate the relationship of self-efficacy and demographic characteristics with blood glucose control in older patients with diabetes type II who referred to an endocrinology clinic in the northwest of Iran.

This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a random sampling method through which the patients were divided into controlled and uncontrolled groups. A total of 290 eligible volunteers participated in the research during November-March 2016. The Diabetes Management Self-efficacy Scale and demographic information form were completed by face-to-face interviews. Based on the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, the patients were assigned to controlled (HbA1c<7) and uncontrolled (HbA1c>7) groups. Finally, the data were analyzed using SPSS.

The results showed a significant difference between the 2 groups regarding the mean self-efficacy scores after adjusting for the blood glucose control confounding variables (P ≤ 0.05). Moreover, all the dimensions of participants’ self-efficacy scores had significant relationships with the glycosylated hemoglobin level (P ≤ 0.05). In terms of personal details, variables including the time since diagnosis of diabetes, education, and economic status had significant relationships with blood glucose control as well (P ≤ 0.05).

In general, the economic status, education, and time since diagnosis of diabetes affected diabetes control. Thus, performing interve