Assessment of Self-Care Practices among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients attending Health Care Centres of Urban Area of Hyderabad, India

Introduction: As per the International Diabetic Federation Atlas, 2021, 3 in 4 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus live in low and middle income countries. This represents a tremendous burden on the healthcare system of these countries. Self-care practices can mitigate the disease burden. Objectives: To assess the self-care practices among the type 2 patients using Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA). Method: A facility based cross sectional study was undertaken among adults aged 25-60 years using a modified SDSCA, validated in Indian settings to study the self-care practices in diabetic patients. The modified domains included practices on dietary modifications, regular physical activity, foot care, regular blood glucose monitoring, drug adherence and addictions. Mean scores of these domains in SDSCA were compared with HbA1c measurements. Statistical tests performed included unpaired T test and chi-square. Results: Mean age of the patients was 49.60+ 11.13 Years. There were about 117(54.4%) patients with controlled HbA1c measurements. There was a statistically significant association of dietary modifications, regular physical activity, foot care, drug adherence and addictions with controlled HbA1c measurements. (p value=0.05) Conclusion: Self-care practices can significantly alter diabetes control and prevent complications. Regular glucose monitoring was lacking in several patients and led to poor glycemic controls. These results can inform clinical practice and patient care for better management of the type 2 diabetes mellitus.