Self monitoring of blood glucose; The efficiency of metabolic control in type 2 diabetic patients who are using oral anti diabetic agents

This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between self-monitoring and metabolic control and to determine the factors that effect self-monitoring. The study includes 240 Type 2 diabetic patients who were receiving outpatient treatment in Kahramanmaraş State Hospital and were using oral antidiabetic drugs. Data was collected by using a patient introduction form that includes the patient?s personal, socioeconomic and individual characteristics and Diabetes care profile?s sub-groups of control problems and monitoring barriers which were made its Turkish validity and reliability tests. Measurements of fasting/nonfasting blood glucose, HbA1C, trigliserit, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, arterial blood pressure and body mass index were all taken to evaluate the metabolic control levels. Average age of the self monitoring of blood glucose(SMBG) group was 53,54±11,23 and non SMBG group was 53,25±10,10 years. 53,3% of the SMBG group and 42,6 % of the non SMBG group had diabetes for five years or more. When the outcomes related with control problems were evaluated; it was determined that non SMBG group had hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia symptoms in the last month. It was determined that the diabetics had not been tested urine and 34,2% of them were tested for blood sugar once a week, 52,5% of them were tested for blood sugar twice a week, 13,3% of them were tested for blood sugar three times a week. In our study, it was found that females, singles, elderly people, low health perception scores, high fasting/nonfasting blood sugar and HbA1C encountered control problems on both of the group, it was found that females, singles, elderly people, patients with economic insufficiencies, low educational level and low health perception scores encountered monitoring problems on SMBG group more frequently. In future, the studies should be made in order to comprehend the importance of self-monitoring, to check the self-monitoring practices and to reduce the monitoring barriers.