Adherence to Self-care Practices among Diabetes Mellitus Patients at a Tertiary Hospital in Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Adherence to self-care practices among diabetes mellitus patients is vital in achieving optimal glycemic control and delaying the progression of the disease complications. There is limited information regarding diabetes self-care among diabetic patients in Eastern Uganda, where the disease is most prevalent. The aim of this study was to determine the level of adherence to diabetes mellitus self-care practices and the associated factors among adult diabetic outpatients at a tertiary hospital in Eastern Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Eastern Uganda between September and October 2020, on a sample of 156 diabetic patients recruited through systematic random sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data through self-report. Descriptive and Logistic regression analyses were conducted using STATA version 15.0, and a 5% level of significance. Most of the study participants were female (63.8%) with an average age of 52.3 years (SD 13.8). The prevalence of adherence to self-care was 36.5%. The factors associated with adherence to self-care were good diabetes knowledge (AOR=2.5; 95% CI= 1.2-5.3, p = 0.016), and high self-efficacy (AOR=3.9; 95% CI= 1.8 – 8.7, p = 0.001). Less than half of the patients attending the diabetic clinic at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital in Eastern Uganda adhere to self-care practices. Patients ought to receive comprehensive, consistent, and contextualized diabetes education to enrich their knowledge, as well as a boost of their self-efficacy through interventions like counseling, positive feedback, role models, and peer education.