Research Information System
Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche, vol.179, no.9, pp.528-537, 2020 (ESCI)
BacKGroUnd: diabetes Mellitus (dM) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide while over 7 million diabetic individuals live in turkey. diabetics require lifelong personal care to reduce risk of developing long-term complications. Good self-care adherence may improve type 2 diabetes mellitus (t2dM) management, life-quality and increase longevity. the purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of healthy diet and self-care behaviors on health-related quality of life and T2DM management efficiency in Turkish patients. MethodS: pilot facility-based, cross-sectional observational study, conducted at three healthcare centers in istanbul, turkey. 36-item short-term health surveys (SF-36) were administered to t2dM patients, for assessing life-quality. Summary of diabetes self-care activities measure (SdSca) determined self-care activities adherence (healthy diet, physical activity, medication, blood glucose testing, foot-care, and smoking). after SdSca grouping of results, life quality scores, hba1c and fasting plasma glucose levels were evaluated. the following three health institutions were used: i) Fit Art Nutrition & Dietetic Consultancy, ii) Gazi Osman Paşa Hospital, and iii) Bakırköy Mazhar Osman Mental Health - neurological diseases, teaching & research hospital. a total of 55 t2dM diagnosed adults with a 10% drop-out rate yielding a working sample of 50 patients of whom 56% female, with average age 52.1 years participated in the study. reSUltS: Good self-care activities’ adherers obtained higher scores in life-quality and demonstrated lower hba1c levels than poor adherers (p<0.05). Furthermore, smoking was a predictor of life-quality and glucose management. conclUSionS: Self-care activities adherence including healthy diet improved glycemic control and health-related life-quality in t2dM patients. thus, emphasizing self-care activities adherence yields more effective t2dM management, while improving life-quality in a cost-effective manner.