Published in:
01-12-2020 | Care | Research article
Organizing framework to investigate associations between diabetes knowledge, health literacy, and self-care behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes based on the extended parallel process model
Published in: Journal of Diabetes & Metabolic Disorders | Issue 2/2020
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Objective
The mechanisms underlying the relations between diabetes self-care behaviors, cognition, and social factors are still equivocal, and it is unclear how diabetes knowledge and health literacy is associated with self-care behaviors. Here, we tested a hypothetical path model linking diabetes self-care behaviors to knowledge, health literacy, and constructs of the extended parallel process model (EPPM) to understand potential predictors that may influence patients’ self-care behavior with type 2 diabetes.
Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 404 patients with type 2 diabetes were recruited from healthcare centers in Khaf, Iran. Diabetes self-care behaviors were indicated by, glucose self-control, foot care, physical activity, medications, smoking, and a healthy diet. The main data collection instruments in this study were the Health Literacy for Iranian Adults questionnaire (HELIA), diabetes knowledge, and self-care behavior based on the EPPM questionnaires.
Results
The results from path modeling indicated that perceived susceptibility, efficacy, self-efficacy, knowledge, and health literacy were significant (p < 0.05) predictors for diabetes self-care behaviors and path model accounted for 32% of the total variance.
Conclusion
Based on the results, key constructs of EPPM, diabetes knowledge, and health-related literacy are empirically supported diabetes self-care behaviors. These factors could apply to health professionals for developing educational intervention programs to facilitate a physically active lifestyle.