Abstract:
Background: - Diabetes Mellitus (DM), a chronic metabolic disorders which caused about 4.2
million deaths and at least USD 760 billion dollars’ expenditure in 2019, has been targeted for
action by leaders of WHO member countries. In Ethiopia deaths due to DM has reached 34,262 in
2013. Studies show effective lifestyle interventions; particularly medical nutrition therapy reduces
HbA1c by 0.5 to 2%. However, practicing self-care, specifically recommended diet is reported to
be difficult. Not only Knowledge and practice but also perception studies are therefore necessary
to design future health programs.
Objective: -To assess diabetic self-care, dietary practice and associated factors among diabetes
patients.
Method: - Institution based cross sectional study design was employed from february15- May15,
2020 in Jimma university medical Centre(JUMC). Systematic sampling of every other patient
(K=2.7) was employed to interview 374 participants. previously validated tool was used to collect
data through face-to-face interview. Path analysis was used to fit structural model and test the
hypothesized Health Belief Model(HBM) relationships.
Result: - Response rate was 94.6%(354). Around fifty-two percent of the participants were male
and 76.8% follow diabetic education at least some times. 42.4% and 48% of respondents have
good dietary and general self-care practice. Very strong correlation is detected between dietary
self-care and general self-care practice (r=0.827, p<0.01). Self-efficacy being the strongest, cues
to action perceived threat and perceived barrier constructs of HBM have significant effect on
dietary self-care practice. Knowledge, social support and diabetes distress exert significant indirect
effect on dietary practice through health belief constructs with unstandardized total path coefficient
(standard error) of 0.22(0.03), 0.02(0.01), and -0.03(0.004) respectively.
Conclusion: - In this study, proportion of good practice is found to be lower for both dietary as
well as general self-care. HBM can best fit to explain variability in dietary self-care practice;
therefore, future interventions should be designed to address the vast perception and psychosocial
factors influencing dietary self-care practices.
