Diabetes Self-Care Activities and Their Relationship With Glycemic Control in Patients Visiting Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar

Abstract

Background A significant portion of the Pakistani population is affected by diabetes, which has emerged as a global healthcare concern. Objective This study aimed to assess the correlation between glycemic control in diabetes patients and their engagement in diabetes self-care activities (DSCA). Methodology Cross-sectional research was conducted at Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar between June 2019 and May 2020. A total of 280 carefully selected patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were included. Data collection involved an interviewer-administered questionnaire encompassing sociodemographic information, diabetes-related data, and the summary of the Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) scale. Descriptive statistics and Pearson's chi-square test were employed for data analysis. Results The study observed that the majority of participants (40.36%) were females, and the age range of the participants was between 42 and 53 years (68.22%). According to the study, 55.00% of participants had a normal body mass index (BMI), and 71.08% of participants had diabetes in their family. Regarding glycemic control, 55.71% of individuals exhibited good control based on fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels while 74.64% showed poor control according to hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) values. HbA1c was substantially linked with a general diet (healthy eating plan), physical activities, and adherence to medication ((odds ratios (OR): 3.12), (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.02 - 8.78), (P value: 0.031)); ((OR: 2.19, 95%), (CI:1.18 - 3.79), (P value: 0.003)); ((OR: 2.85), (95% CI: 1.22 - 6.59), P value: 0.021)). Conclusion The findings indicated that health professionals need to create health education programs on DSCA in order to increase DSCA adherence in people with T2DM while maintaining glycemic control.