The Relationship between Perceived Benefits/Barriers of Self-care Behaviors and Self Management in Diabetic Patients

Diabetes is the most common disease due to metabolism disorder with long term complications. Self-care is a basic factor in control of the disease. If diabetic patients perceive the benefits of self-care behaviors, then the perceived barriers will decrease(net benefit) and the likelihood of engaging in self-care behaviors will increase. This study was carried out with the aim of determining perceived benefits/barriers to self-care behaviors and it's relation with practicing self-care behaviors among diabetic patients referred to Yazd diabetes research center.Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional study. Study subjects (n=120) were selected among patients referred to Yazd diabetes research center. Data were collected using a two-section questionnaire. The first section was to assess demographic characteristics of the subjects and the second section was to assess perceived benefits and barriers and self care behaviors constructs.

Perceived benefits score among the patients was 88 per cent and perceived barriers score was 27.75 per cent. Self-care behavior was done by 62.79 per cent of the patients. There was a significant relationship between perceived benefits and diabetes duration. Perceived benefits was also positively correlated with self care behaviors (P=0.01). There was also a negative correlation between perceived barriers and self-care behaviors (P=0.01). Net benefit also had a direct correlation with self-care behavior with P=0.01. Perceived benefits and perceived barriers also had a negative correlation with each other with P=0.01. Perceived benefits and barriers accounted for 28.2 percent variance of self-care behaviors.

Perceiving benefits of self-care behaviors by diabetic patients will cause an increase on practicing self-care behaviors and this will be more possible if the barriers to self-care behaviors be minimized. Therefore, for promotion of diabetic patient's quality of life, attention to these important factors is recommended.