Determination of Social Determinants of Health and Diabetes Management Characteristics of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Objective: Health-related social needs (HRSNs) stem from structural inequities and may also lead to worse health outcomes. HRSNs may have important implications for diabetes self-management. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between HRSNs, and disease self-management among individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted with 292 individuals with type 2 diabetes. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, and structural equation modelling were used in the analysis of the data. Results: This study showed that 22.9% (n=67) of the participants had at least one negative HRSNs. The participants' the negative HRSNs were 45% are food insecurity, 44% public service needs, 28% interpersonal safety, 18% housing instability, and 16% transportation needs. A statistically significant relationship was found between the HRSNs and disease self-management (p