Levels of compliance of self-care practices of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients: a study from a tertiary care hospital of North India

Diabetes management strategies are interdependent and comprise of three basic key elements: self-care activities, effective drug treatment, and adequate follow-up for early detection of complications. There is a need to assess the levels of self-care practices among diabetic patients and factors influencing them for developing better educational strategies to address the gaps identified. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the compliance for self-care activities of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, in a tertiary care hospital by using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities (SDSCA) scale among 60 patients aged > 18 years. More than 90% of respondents were compliant for not eating high-fat foods, were not smoking, and were monitoring glucose regularly. One third of respondents were not taking proper foot care. After adjusting for confounders, the proportion of individuals who eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables were significantly lower in middle and low socioeconomic status (SES) individuals as compared to high SES (middle SES OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.39; lower SES OR 0.06, 95% CI 0.01–0.60). Females were less likely to be involved in physical activity-related self-care activities as compared to males (minimum 30 min of physical activity: OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.08–0.92; specific exercise sessions: OR 0.15, 95% CI 0.04–0.52). The proportion of diabetics who follow proper foot care instructions were significantly lower among middle SES as compared to upper SES (checking of feet: OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01–0.47; inspection of footwear: OR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01–0.48). There is a need to emphasize the importance of diet, physical activity, and foot care during the counseling sessions of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients.