The relationship of stigma level and healthy lifestyle behaviors in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Aim: This study is a descriptive research aiming to examine the relationship between the level of stigma and healthy lifestyle behaviors in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted with 142 patients who were admitted to a university hospital between October 1 and December 15, 2022. Data were obtained with the sociodemographic form, Stigma Assessment Scale (SAS) and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors Scales (HLBS). Results: The mean SAS score of the patients participating in the study was 43.66±12.09, and the mean HLBS score was 125.83±21.48. The highest scores were in physical activity and interpersonal relationships, HLBS was generally at a moderate level, and a statistically significant negative correlation was found between SAS and HLBS scores (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was observed that the SAS and HLBS scores were at a moderate level in type 2 diabetes patients, education affected the level of stigma, gender and marital status affected the HLBS score, and healthy lifestyle scores significantly decreased as the level of stigma increased.