Investigating Self-care Behavior and its Influential Factors in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Zahedan

Diabetes (silent death) is one of the problems in the field of health and public health all across the globe. The most important factor in the control of diabetes and its complications is self-care behaviors. The leading cause of death in diabetic patients is a lack of self-care behaviors. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess self-care behavior and its influential factors in people with type 2 diabetes.

In this descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study, 308 diabetic patients who were registered in the Sib system between 2015 and 2021 were selected and included via a multi-stage cluster method. The data collection tool was the self-care behavior questionnaire, and the demographic information was obtained from the electronic file (Sib system). Data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 16) using descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, frequency percentage), Mann-Whitney, and Kruskal-Wallis.

The mean self-care score of the patients was 48.07, and their self-care status was average. Self-care behavior score demonstrated a significant relationship with age, job status, education level, marital status, economic status, smoking, hospitalization history, and disease complications (P<0.05).

As evidenced by the results of the present study, the self-care status of the patients was reported at an average level, and it was affected by various factors, such as education level and job status. Therefore, in order to promote self-care behavior, health policymakers should formulate appropriate programs according to the needs of society, and health educators should perform the necessary educational interventions according to effective factors.