Motivational Factors for Empowering People with Diabetes and the Influence of Perceived Self-Efficacy

Abstract

In this study, we apply theories about self-efficacy, empowerment and motivation to account for the phenomena that people with diabetes Mellitus type 1 express as being influential for people with diabetes’ behaviour regarding self-regulation. They must make significant changes to their lifestyle, to keep the disease stabilized. The changes can be cumbersome and hard to implement why people with diabetes receive training in self-regulation. For many people it can be challenging to comply with the recommendations. We conducted field observations and surveys to understand how people with diabetes experience their perceived self-efficacy, and what motivates them to perform blood sugar measurements and physical activities. We found differences in people with diabetes’ ability to follow the recommendation based on gender, motivation, and their level of self-efficacy. We also found indications on how a motivational dialog may affect both professionals and people with diabetes. Thus, we suggest that guidance of people with diabetes should be based on an emancipating motivational approach such enabling the possibility of strengthening the people with diabetes’ motivation and thereby their self-efficacy. Through these processes, the people with diabetes may become able to achieve a higher level of health literacy such experiencing a better outcome of their self-regulation. With this paper we contribute to the contemporary overall knowledge about the diabetes field, such our investigation focus on people with diabetes ability to act upon information provided by healthcare professionals and how to best approach the issues people with diabetes experience as being essential for their general well-being and everyday lives.