Level Of Self-Care Practices And Its Predictors Among Diabetic Patients Residing In Urban Field Practice Area Of Tertiary Health Care Centre

Abstract

Background: Self-care among diabetes is met with a lot of obstacles and challenges including unclear advices from medical
practitioners, non-cooperation from family members, financial constraints, the accessibility to health centres, and cultural differences
between families and the health‑care provider.
Objectives: To assess the self-care practices among male and female diabetic patients in the urban filed practice area of tertiary teaching
hospital. To determine the predictors of self-care practices among diabetic patients.
Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted in Urban Field Practice area attached to the department of
Community Medicine, Konaseema Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Foundation, Amalapuram among Type 2 diabetic
patients who were on treatment for at least 1 year aged 18 years and above during the months of February and March 2022. Data was
collected using predesigned semi structured questionnaire using interview technique after taking informed consent. Self-care practices
were evaluated from The Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities (SDSCA) Measure. Data was entered and analysed using Microsoft
excel and SPSS ver. 20 software.
Results: Half of the study subjects had good self-care followed by 35% had moderate and rest had poor self-care. There was a
statistically significant difference between the self –care practices among male and female subjects.
Conclusion: The present study concluded that overall self-care was good among half of the study subjects, but individual self-care
practices were not that good. Increased age, higher education, duration of diabetes and social class were identified as good predictors
of level of self-care in Diabetes.