The evaluation of health behaviors in the partners of patients which TYPE 2 diabetes

Although diabetes is a non-communicable disease, it is the most common endocrinological disease that affects a large number of individuals all over the world to form a pandemic. Although it is obvious that the diseases of individuals are affected by environmental factors, there are not many studies on how the presence of the disease affects the microenvironment of the individual. This research was designed to understand whether people with a spouse diagnosed with type 2 DM would develop a lifestyle change by changing their perception of their own health. Our research is a randomized controlled retrospective case-control study. Patients who applied to the endocrinology and family medicine outpatient clinics of Başkent University Faculty of Medicine between 01/12/2020 - 30/05/2021 were randomized and selected to the case group. Spouses of the patients who applied to the outpatient clinics on the same dates and did not have diabetes were selected by randomization and 100 people were formed as the control group. Data were collected by applying a face-to-face questionnaire to the subjects in the groups. Paired sample t test and student t test were used as statistical analysis in the study. Statistical significance was accepted as p<0.05 in the study. In our study, healthy spouses of people with type 2 diabetes; increased the habit of using glucometer, increased frequency of blood pressure measurement, increased adherence to diet, increased pneumococcal and influenza vaccination, and behavioral changes aimed at increasing their own health. These behavioral changes are random and instinctive when not configured. Therefore, emphasis should be placed on the use of family-based approaches for diabetes management and treatment among couples with type 2 diabetes in primary care clinics.