Self-care practice and its predictors amongst Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus patients in the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital of Kolkata, Eastern India - A cross-sectional study

Purpose The purpose of this study is to find out the pattern and factors associated with self-care practices among diabetic patients as self-care was considered imperative for the control of disease and enhancement of patient's quality of life. Methods This is a cross-sectional clinic-based observational study conducted among the type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who came for follow up to the outpatient department of a tertiary hospital of Kolkata from September to December 2019. Self-care practice assessed using questions adapted from the "Summary Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire" by face-to-face interview. Logistic regression used to find out the predictors of self-care practice. Results Self-care practice was unsatisfactory among 67.5% of the patients. Near half (56%) of the patients had mild to moderate distress and about 18% were severely distressed. Self-care practice was significantly associated with the educational level, family history, presence of hypertension, advice given regarding self-care activities, and diabetes distress levels of the participants. Conclusions Primary care physicians should be encouraged to give practical aspects of self-care practices and counseling regarding diabetes distress. To perform self-care practices adequate, support from the family level and community level is imperative.