Table 5 Factors associated with self-care behaviors among type 2 diabetes patients in Ghana
Factor | Reported results |
|---|---|
1. Patient-related | |
Diabetes knowledge | High knowledge of diabetes is associated with increased adherence to overall self-care practices, diet, SMBG, and foot-care recommendations [26]. |
Illness representation | Negative illness representations (i.e., belief that diabetes has serious negative impacts on a patient’s life and exhibiting negative emotions) were associated with poor adherence to overall self-care practices, diet, exercise [25], and medication recommendations [28]. |
Perception of personal control (i.e., belief in personal ability to act to improve health) was positively associated with adherence to medication recommendations [28]. | |
2. Sociodemographic/economic-related | |
Gender | Male participants had a higher frequency of SMBG compared to female participants [23, 27]. |
Age | Elderly participants (≥ 70 years) were more likely to adhere to medication recommendations compared to those below 50 years [23]. |
Age was negatively associated with adherence to dietary recommendations [11]. | |
Education | High levels of education were associated with increased adherence to diet, exercise, and foot care recommendations [27]. |
The number of years in school was negatively associated with adherence to dietary recommendations [23]. | |
High levels of education were associated with increased adherence to medication recommendations [23, 25, 29]. | |
Marital status | Being married was associated with increased adherence to diet [1]. |
Socioeconomic status | Socioeconomic status was positively associated with adherence to diet and cardiovascular fitness recommendations [11, 22]. |
Social support | Social support was negatively associated with adherence to diet, exercise, and medication recommendations [11, 24]. |
Social support was positively associated with adherence to cardiovascular fitness recommendations [11]. | |
Ownership of glucometer | Owning a glucometer was associated with an increased frequency of SMBG [23]. |
3. Condition-related | |
Diabetes distress | Diabetes distress is negatively associated with adherence to diet, exercise, and medication recommendations [16, 24]. |
Diabetes-related emotional distress | Diabetes-related emotional distress is negatively associated with adherence to an exercise regimen [24]. |
4. Health-care system-related | |
Drug availability at the hospital | The availability of anti-diabetic drugs in the hospital pharmacy was negatively associated with adherence to medication adherence [29]. |