Self care practices among Diabetic Patients in an urban tertiary care centre
A Hospital-based Observational Study
Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major global public health challenge, affecting over 69 million people in India. Despite its high burden, awareness, self-care, and treatment adherence remain suboptimal among Indian patients.
Objectives: To assess self-care practices and medication adherence among diabetic patients attending a tertiary care centre.
Methods: A hospital-based, cross-sectional observational study was conducted among 88 diabetic patients attending Medicine, Surgery, and Eye OPDs in a tertiary care centre. Data were collected using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire that included assessment of self-care practices using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) Measurement scale and a six-item medication adherence scale (Compliance Evaluation Test). Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Results: Among 88 participants, 56.8% were females and 68% were aged 50–70 years. One-third belonged to the lower-middle socio-economic class. Overweight (62.9%) and central obesity (65%) were common. Nearly 31% had a family history of diabetes. Common complications included eye (73.9%) and cardiovascular (54.5%) involvement. Only 11.4% reported good medication adherence, while forgetfulness (60.2%) and pill burden (45.5%) were frequent causes of poor adherence. Although 89.8% attended regular follow-ups, self-care practices like glucose monitoring (35.2%) and foot care (46.6%) were inadequate.
Conclusion: The study highlights poor self-care and low adherence to medication among diabetic patients, despite regular clinic visits. Strengthening patient-centered education, dietary counseling, and adherence monitoring are crucial for improving outcomes
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