Determinants of Self-care Behaviors Among People with Type II Diabetes: A One-decade Systematic Review

Self-care activities have been used as a framework for patient-centered diabetes education. Accumulating evidence suggests that patients who take a more active role in their care process achieve better health outcomes. The present study aimed to design a systematic review of scientific resources over the past decade to identify variables that determine self-care behaviors in patients with type II diabetes (T2D).

MeSH keywords were applied to search several databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Med line, DOAJ, Oxford, and the Scientific Information Database for English and Persian language studies between August 2010 and 2019. The process of conducting and reporting this systematic review was guided according to the statements of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA).

The literature search yielded 1,813 publications, of which 62 were included in this study after eliminating non-relevant and overlapping papers. A total of 18 factors and variables determining self-care behaviors were obtained in patients with T2D. The most influential variables were self-efficacy, knowledge, level of education, age, duration of diabetes, and health literacy.

In sum, six main factors were identified as determinants of self-care behaviors in patients with T2D which self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of self-care and is expected to be considered in designing and implementing educational programs and behavior change in diabetic patients. Further studies in the future may support the findings of this review study.