Relationship between self-regulation and quality of life: an intensive exploration in patients with diabetes

The study was designed to explain and understand the relationship between various self-regulatory capacities and different dimensions of quality of life in patients with diabetes by focusing on the role of personal-level (i.e., age and gender), diabetes-specific (i.e., duration of disease and current glucose level), and socio-environmental factors (i.e., years of formal education and monthly family income). Data was collected from a total of 242 diabetes patients (including 42 % females), with age range of 17–85 years with mean ± standard deviation (SD) of 44.56 ± 16.56 years. Informed consent was taken from patients before administration of questionnaires. Controlling for the effect of covariates, multiple linear regression analysis suggested critical effect of two self-regulation capacities (i.e., psychological adjustment β-rage 0.28 to 0.42, and physical health β-rage 0.23 to 0.38; p < .05) on all dimensions including overall quality of life except social dimension. Age moderated effect of physical health (β interaction = 0.31, p < 0.01) whereas gender moderated effect of psychological adjustment (β interaction = 0.72, p < 0.01) on quality of life. Diabetes-specific factors (i.e., current glucose level) appeared to be the most critical factor and moderated effect of various self-regulatory capacities (i.e., self-confidence, goal directedness, helping behaviors, psychological adjustment, and overall self-regulation) on all dimensions (except environment dimension) including overall quality of life. It is concluded that two of the self-regulatory capacitates (i.e., psychological adjustment and physical health) play a vital role in quality of life, and current glucose level is the most critical moderator for the relationship between self-regulation and quality of life of diabetes patients.