A Correlational Study of the Relationships of Knowledge of Diabetes, Depression, Health Belief, Stage of Change and Patient Activation in Adults with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (type 2 DM) is recognized as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. It is also associated with long-term complications including stroke, nerve damage, and kidney failure. This chronic illness is characterized by a high level of care complexity that requires extensive education and self-care management. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to determine the most important factors that inhibit patient activation of diabetes self-management among adults. Setting: The study was carried out through an outpatient Diabetes Education Center, the Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), and the Nurse Practitioner Association (NPA) of New York. Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design was used for this study, with a convenience sample of 72 adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Data collection consisted of both semi-structured and structured questionnaires. Results: Descriptive, univariate and bivariate statistics were used to analyze the demographic and major variables. And multivariate analysis helped to understand the relationship between the criterion variable and the significant predictor variables. One factor remained as a significant predictor to patient activation in the final linear regression analysis: Depression (β (72) = -.27, p = .01). Conclusion: The combination of diabetes and depression presents a major clinical challenge. This study’s findings highlight an area that needs to be examined further. In other words, nurses could develop strategies to increase patient activation by addressing depressive symptoms in diabetic clients, thereby increasing quality of life, and improving overall diabetes control.