The Mediating Role of Adherence to Treatment in the Relationship between Interoceptive Awareness and Quality of Life in Patients with Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a costly chronic condition with serious health risks like blindness, advanced renal failure, and amputation. Objectives: The present study aimed to evaluate the mediating role of adherence to treatment in the relationship between interoceptive awareness and quality of life (QoL) in patients with diabetes. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study used the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique to analyze the relationships of variables in all patients with diabetes visiting health centers of Ahvaz, Khuzestan Province (Iran) in 2022. A total of 232 patients with diabetes were selected through convenience sampling and filled out the Diabetes Quality of Life–Brief Clinical Inventory, Multidimensional Interoceptive Awareness Scale, and Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. The SEM technique was adopted to evaluate the proposed model. The results were analyzed using SPSS 27 and AMOS-25 software. Results: There was a significant relationship between adherence to treatment and QoL (β = 0.19, P = 0.003), but interoceptive awareness and QoL had no significant relationship. There was a significant relationship between interoceptive awareness and adherence to treatment (β = 0.24, P = 0.001). There was also a significant relationship between interoceptive awareness and QoL mediated by adherence to treatment in patients with diabetes (β = 0.27, P = 0.024). According to the findings, the final research model fitted well (CFI = 0.96, RMSEA = 0.076). Conclusions: Based on the results, there was a relationship between adherence to treatment and QoL in patients with diabetes. Consequently, the final model had a good fit and proved effective in improving QoL in patients with diabetes.