Predictors of Diabetes Self-Management among Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Abstract EN

Diabetes mellitus is a public health concern in Malaysia.

Treatment of diabetes is costly and can lead to complications if disease is poorly controlled.

Diabetes self-management (DSM) is found to be essential for optimal glycemic control.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among samples from four randomly selected diabetes clinics in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The aim was to determine the predictors for DSM.

Face-to-face interview using questionnaire was used to collect data.

Four hundred respondents with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were recruited.

Majority of the respondents were Sarawak Bumiputra (Iban and Bidayuh, 48.6%) and female (68.6%).

The mean age was 58.77 years (SD = 11.46) and approximately half of the respondents (50.6%) had T2DM for six years (SD = 4.46).

The mean fasting blood glucose (FBG) was 8.06 mmol/L (SD = 2.94), with majority (76.1%) having the level higher than 6.1 mmol/L.

Multiple logistic regression tests showed significant linear relationship between DSM and belief in treatment effectiveness ( p = 0.001 ), family support ( p = 0.007 ), and self-efficacy ( p = 0.027 ).

Health care personnel must convince patients with T2DM of the effectiveness of the treatment, empower and enhance their self-efficacy, and enlist the family support so as to ensure patients sustain their DSM efforts.