The effect of psychosocial adjustment on self-care in diabetic patients

This research was conducted as a cross-sectional study to determine the effect of psychosocial adjustment on self-care in diabetic patients. The research was conducted with 230 individuals with diabetes mellitus who met the study criteria in the internal medicine and endocrinology outpatient clinics of Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University Training and Research Hospital between November 2022 and January 2023. In order to conduct the study, the approval of the ethics committee, institutional permission and informed consent of the participants were obtained. The data of the study were collected using the patient identification form, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Self-Report Scale (PAIS-SR), and the Diabetes Self-Care Scale (DSCS). For the statistical evaluation of the data, independent sample t test, Mann Whitney U test, ANOVA test, Kruskal Wallis test, Pearson correlation analysis and Simple Linear Regression analysis were used. The psychosocial adjustment to Illness self-report scale mean total score of the individuals was found to be 39.32±18.62, and their psychosocial adjustment to the disease was found to be moderate. It has been determined that individuals with diabetes have the most psychosocial adjustment difficulties in the area of psychosocial distress and healthcare orientation. The diabetes self-care scale mean score of the individuals was calculated as 87.05±11.89. A statistically significant negative correlation was found between the scores of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Self-Report Scale and the Diabetes Self-Care Scale (r=-0.193; p<0.05). It was determined that one unit increase in the psychosocial adjustment to Illness -self-report scale total score of individuals with diabetes caused a 0.123 unit decrease in the diabetes self-care scale score. It has been determined that the sub-dimensions of the psychosocial adjustment to Illness -self-report scale, healthcare orientation, vocational environment, and psychosocial distress sub-dimensions have an effect on the diabetes self-care score (p<0.05). As a result, it was determined that as the psychosocial adjustment level of individuals with diabetes increased, their self-care activities also increased.