COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SELF-CARE IN DIABETIC PATIENTS WITH PERSONALITY TYPES A AND B

Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic disease. Proper management of this disease requires proper self-care behaviors. One of the most effective psychological factors that predict the self-care behavior is personality type. The aim of this study was to determine and compare levels of self-care in diabetic patients with personality types A and B.

This study is a descriptive-analytical study. In this study, 342 diabetic patients were recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using self-care questionnaire in diabetic patients and personality type A and B questionnaire. After data collection, the data were entered into SPSS 22 software. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

According to the results, the standard deviation and the mean score of total self-care as well as self-care in blood glucose control and foot care dimension in personality type A were higher than individuals in personality type B (p > 0.05). On the other hand, standard deviation and mean score of self-care in terms of nutrition, drug behavior, and physical activity were higher in type B personality group than group A (p > 0.05).

According to the findings of this study, the overall score of self-care in patients with personality type A is higher than personality type B. However, the mean score of self-care in most subscales in diabetic patients with personality type B is higher than patients with personality type A. Therefore, more studies are needed in this regard.