Identifying the factors contributing to successful diabetes self-management could have far-reaching utility in targeted interventions to address glycemic control limitations. This study aimed to examine the influence of health distress, communication with healthcare providers, self-efficacy, and diabetes self-management on glycemic control. The study was guided by individual and family self-management theory (IFSMT), which posits that self-management is a multifaceted, dynamic model with three main dimensions: context, process, and outcomes. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study, collecting data from adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) during regular visits to primary care centers in the capital city of Saudi Arabia. A total of 134 eligible individuals diagnosed with T2DM participated in the study. Data were collected using the health distress scale, diabetes self-efficacy scale, communication with healthcare providers, and diabetes self-management questionnaire. Data were analyzed using the independent sample t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and hierarchical multiple regression. The mean glycated hemoglobin value was 8.23, with women reporting better values than men. Significant differences in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values were found between participants with fewer and more comorbidities (p = 0.039). There was a moderate, negative association between HbA1c and diabetes self-management (r = −0.48, p < 0.001). Diabetes self-management significantly predicted glycemic control (p < 0.001), body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.001), sex (p < 0.05), comorbidity (p < 0.01), total number of medications (p < 0.05), and health distress (p < 0.05). Most participants had poor glycemic control. IFSMT can effectively frame the assessment of key glycemic control factors. Future studies are required to evaluate the impact of behavioral interventions (medication adherence and social support) on glycemic control. Assessing self-management skills, adherence to treatment plans, and other behaviors in primary care settings can improve health outcomes, particularly for non-communicable diseases such as T2DM.
Innab et al. (Thu,) studied this question.