An Investigation of Demographic and Social Factors Affecting Compliance with Therapeutic Regimens in Type II Diabetic Patients

Similar to many other complications, patients with diabetes play a significant role in the treatment and management of their condition. Therefore, evaluation of compliance with therapeutic regimens among these patients is of pivotalimportance. Identification of factors affecting patient's compliance with therapeutic regimens is the first step in designing therapeutic interventions. The aim of this studywas to investigate the association between therapeutic regimen compliance and demographic and social factors in type II diabetic patients, referring to Tamin EjtemaeiDiabetes Center of Isfahan, Iran. In this qualitative, correlational study, 106 patients (≥ 40 years of age) with confirmed type II diabetes, referring to Tamin Ejtemaei Diabetes Center, were selected via census sampling. The subjects had no diabetes-induced complications and received continuous nutritional consultation. A researcher-made questionnaire was used for data collection. For data analysis, inferential statistics were calculated, using SPSS. Based on the findings, compliance with therapeutic regimens had a significant positive association with educational level, frequency of referral to diabetes centers, patient's perceptions and beliefs, level of knowledge, social factors and family support. However, compliance with therapeutic regimens had a significant negative association with income level and time of diagnosis. Also, no significant association was observed between regimen compliance and age, marital status, residential status, history of using herbal medicines or the time spent on travelling from home to diabetes centers. Based on the findings, some demographic and social factors can affect patient's compliance with therapeutic regimens.