Diabetes self-care activities: A community-based survey in urban southern India.
Loading...
Date
2012-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Background. Diabetes is a lifestyle disease and can be
successfully managed by good self-care activities such as diet,
exercise, monitoring and drug adherence. Adequate baseline
information about the prevalence of good self-care activities is
not available from India. We aimed to estimate the existing
self-care behaviours and factors influencing these behaviours
among adult patients with type 2 diabetes in urban southern
India.
Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a
cluster design in an urban community in southern India. The
Summary Diabetes Self-Care Activities questionnaire was used
to collect information on diet, exercise, monitoring of blood
sugars and adherence to drugs. Risk factors such as marital
status, socioeconomic status, depression, benefit-finding and
duration of illness, which are likely to influence self-care
behaviour, were assessed.
Results. Good dietary behaviour was present in 29%
(95% CI 20.8%–37.2%), good exercise behaviour in 19.5%
(95% CI 17.4%–21.6%), regular blood sugar monitoring in
70% (95% CI 62.2%–77.8%) and drug adherence in
79.8% (95% CI 75.1%–84.5%). Being male (OR 3.38;
95% CI 1.541–7.407) and married (OR 5.60; 95% CI
1.242–25.212) significantly favoured good exercise
behaviour. Being married (OR 2.322; 95% CI 1.104–
4.883) and belonging to the higher socioeconomic status (OR
2.713; 95% CI 1.419–5.190) were significantly associated
with monitoring of blood sugars.
Conclusions. Self-care activities with respect to diet and exercise are poor in the population studied. The self-care activities relating to blood sugar monitoring and drug adherence are good. Improving self-care behaviour among patients with diabetes in India should start with adequate targeted health
education.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Gopichandran V, Lyndon S, Angel M K, Manayalil B P, Blessy K R, Alex R G, Kumaran V, Balraj V. Diabetes self-care activities: A community-based survey in urban southern India. National Medical Journal of India. 2012 Jan-Feb; 25(1): 14-17.