SELF-CARE BEHAVIOR AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG PATIENTS WITH DIABETES AT CHRONIC ILLNESS CLINIC OF UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR REFERRAL HOSPITAL, NORTH WEST ETHIOPIA; A HEALTH BELIEF MODEL PERSPECTIVE.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Diabetes lasts a lifetime and it requires ongoing self-care and management to minimize its impact in both short and long term. Patient’s engagement in self-care behavior is an important cost effective strategy for glycemic control and in preventing and delaying complications. Objective: To assess Self-Care behaviors and associated factors among patients with Diabetes at chronic illness clinic illness of University of Gondar Referral Hospital, North West Ethiopia, 2019. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted from March– February 2019 in chronic illness clinic of University of Gondar Referral Hospital. A systematic random sampling was used to select a total of 398 patients with diabetes. Interview administered questionnaire was used and the data collection were conducted by six nurses who have got two days of training.The collected data were analyzed using STATA 14. Binary logistic regressions were performed to identify the factors associated with the level of self-care behavior. P< 0.05 at 95% confidence interval were considered statistically significant. Result: A total of 387 patients with diabetes were participated in the study with a response rate of 97%. In this study 55.6 % (95% CI= 50.5-60.4) of participants had good self- care behavior. Higher educational status (AOR 3.58 CI=1.39-9.22), longer duration of diabetes (AOR 6.75, CI=2.84–16.01), comorbidities (AOR= 0.47; CI=0.24-0.94), lower knowledge about Diabetes (AOR 0.39, CI=0.21-0.74), social support (AOR 3.99, CI=1.75-9.14), higher perceived severity (AOR 4.84; CI=2.38-9.83), higher perceived barrier (AOR 0.29; CI=0.13-0.66) and higher selfefficacy

(AOR 4.86, CI=1.46-16.19) were found to be significant factors for diabetes self-care behavior. Conclusion and Recommendation: Self-care behavior of diabetes patients were considerably lower. Self-care behavior was affected by educational status, duration of diabetes, comorbidities, knowledge about diabetes, social support, perceived severity, perceived barrier and selfefficacy.

Health care providers have to develop health information viii

dissemination programs that consider individual’s perceptions and low educational status in order to improve patient’s knowledge regarding the importance of self care. Key words: Self-care behavior, Diabetes, Health Belief Model, University of Gondar ix