Illness perceptions among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross‐sectional study

AIMS: This study aimed to investigate illness perceptions and their predictors among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. METHODS: A descriptive, correlational, and exploratory design was used. The Chinese version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire was modified and used to collect data between September 2016 and February 2017. RESULTS: On average, patients recognized fewer than five of the 14 common symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Of the six causal factors, "dietary behaviours" had the highest mean score, while "psychological factors" had the lowest score. Most patients lacked understanding of type 2 diabetes mellitus. They perceived it as a chronic and stable illness, without negative affective response, and controllable by themselves and through treatment. Gender, age, marital status, educational level, family income, employment status, diabetes duration, diabetes-related complications, comorbid conditions, number of hospital admissions, and the level of haemoglobin A1c were predictors of illness perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of the present study suggest that the illness perceptions of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes should be improved. This evidence may enrich the theoretical understanding of illness perceptions and be used to develop interventions for enhancing illness perceptions in such patients.