Exploring the Determinants of Diabetes’ Self-Care Practices among the Diabetics Living in Urban Field Practice Area of Medical College in Hyderabad

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a chronic disease, and among the adults, type II diabetes is more common. In 2021, approximately 537 million adults between 20 to79 suffered from diabetes. Diabetics who follow self-care practices can manage their blood glucose levels better, which in turn prevents the secondary complications. Methods: This was a community-based and cross-sectional study performed in the urban field practice (UHC) area of a tertiary care medical college conducted on 110 type II diabetics. The ‘summary of diabetes self-care activities’ questionnaire was used for data collection. Results: Mean age was 53 +/- 7.6, 70% of whom were females and 45.4% were lower-middle Socio-Economic Status. 33% of the participants had uncontrolled diabetes. The majority of study subjects (68.2%) suffered from hypertension as a co-morbidity, followed by heart disease (10.9%), thyroid disease (10%), and hypercholestrolism (1.8%). 62.7% of the subjects showed treatment adherence for > 4 days/week. Diabetics who had the disease for more than 5 years and followed a proper diet and adhered to treatment (> 4 d/week), showed a better control of glucose levels. Conclusion: The findings of this study can be used to strengthen NPCDCS program to bridge the knowledge gap regarding self-care among patients and caregivers.