Self-care Practices of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetic Patients

Abstract

Background: The most important problem of diabetic patients is unable to control their blood sugar level to the baseline.  Because of high blood sugar level lead to diabetic complications.  These complications could be prevented and controlled be a good self-care practices.  In order to do this, h0owever, patients have to know all relevant factors perpetuating the severity of their illness and leading to effective proper self-care practices.

Objectives: To examine self-care practices of the non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients

Subjects and Methods: Purposive sampling was used to select 87 adult NIDDM patients in the out patient department, Srinagarind Hospital.  The data was c9ollected using a questionnaire developed by the researcher based on Orem’s self-care theory.  The questionnaire composes of 5 categories of self-care practices covered in this study are diet control, exercise, compliance to regimen and medication, general hygiene and foot care, and prevention of hazards and complications.

Results:  According to the self-care practice categories researched, the results indicate that for diet control, most of the patients (93.1) controlled their daily food intake with appropriate amounts of carbohydrate, protein, fat and vegetables.  Only 6.9~ of the patients still drink alcoholic beverages.  Appropriate exercise was taken by 63.2~ of the patients.  The highest practices in order to comply with the regimen and medication was monitoring blood sugar (95.4%).  The lowest practice was stopping or reducing the dosage of medication by themselves when they fell sick (3.4%).  All of the patients (100%) took a bath with soap and water at least 1-2 times daily, although only 4.6% of them cut their naily properly (transverse cut).  The most common practice to prevent and resolve the complications of diabetes mellitus was taking high sugar food and drinks when patients had low blood sugar (89.7%) and only 5.8% of them still smoke.

Conclusions: A majority of the NIDDM patients had many problems of 5 categories of self-care practices that should be concerned.