“I Am a Blood Sugar Checker”: Intervening Effects of Self-as-doer Identity on the Relationship between Self-efficacy and Diabetes Self-care Behaviors

The mechanisms by which self-efficacy contribute to improved diabetes self-care behaviors are poorly understood. We propose that the “self-as-doer” identity might help explain the relationship between behavioral self-efficacy and health behavior enactment. Adults with diabetes (type I = 200, type II = 130) completed self-report measures assessing diabetes management-specific self-efficacy, self-as-doer, and self-care behaviors. We tested the intervening effects of the “self-as-doer” identity on the relationship between self-efficacy and diabetes self-care behaviors. For persons with type I diabetes, self-as-doer was a significant intervening variable for all self-care behaviors. Significant indirect effects of self-as-doer were found for exercise, diet, and blood glucose monitoring for persons with type II diabetes. Implications and recommendations for interventions are discussed.