The study of self-care agency in patients with diabetes (Ardabil)

Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases and also the greatest health problem in all countries. The most important strategy to control chronic diseases is self-care behaviors. Thus, the present study was implemented to determine self-care capacity among diabetic patients. In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 92 diabetic patients aged 20- 65 years, were selected from the Imam Khomeini hospitals of Ardebil and studied within a month in winter 2009. The necessary data was collected through interview by using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale (SDSCA). Self-care rate among the subjects was weak. Factors such as type of diabetes (P=0.02), residence (P=0.01), age (P=0.01), education level (P=0.01), and instruction history (P=0.02) had a significant relationships with self-care capacity. Self-care capacity of diabetic individuals was weak, therefore given the crucial role of self care behaviores to control diabetes, nurses are required to identify help-seeker's need while performing nursing interventions and investigating self-care behaviors and design and implement planned training to promote self-care ability among patients.