Self-Care Behaviour among Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Self-care behaviour involves all activities type 2 diabetes patients engage in to care for their disease. In our local population, however, most patients do not manage their disease appropriately. This study aimed to determine the level of self-care behaviour and to examine the differences in self-care behaviour according to type 2 diabetes patients' demographic data and health condition at University Malaya Medical Centre. Sample of this study comprised 388 patients (respondents) and data were collected from December 2010 to February 2011 using self-administered questionnaires. Results showed that the level of self-care behaviour was moderately high (mean = 38.94, SD=11.93). There were significant differences between self-care behaviour and ethnicity [Wilk's Lambda = 0.92, F(12, 1008) = 2.70, p < 0.05], age group [Wilk's Lambda = 0.96, F(4, 383) = 4.39, p < 0.05], education level [Wilk's Lambda = 0.94, F(12, 1008) = 1.85, p < 0.05], type of treatment [Wilk's Lambda = 0.92, F(12, 1008) = 2.84, p < 0.05], health education [Wilk's Lambda = 0.97, F(4, 383) = 3.33, p<0.05] and smoking status [Wilk's Lambda = 0.96, F(4, 383) = 4.53, p < 0.05]. Respondents who are Indian, elderly, had lower level of education, on insulin treatment, had received health education on diabetes and not smoking had better self-care behaviour scores. It can be concluded that high risk type 2 diabetes patients should be taught individually so as to help them improve physical and psychological outcome.