Health and illness self-care in adults with non-insulin dependent diabetes : a rest of Orem's theory of self-care

This study examined the health and illness self-care of 57 (32 females, 25 males) subjects with Type II diabetes mellitus and their health, universal selfcare, and health-deviation self-care behaviors. Subjects, except 1, were white; the majority were currently married (74%) and retired (65%). Orem's theory of self-care guided the selection of the variables and the hypothesized outcomes. Denyes Self-Care Practice Instrument and Denyes Health Status Instrument were used to measure universal self-care behaviors and health, respectively. The modified Diabetic Self-Care Practice Instrument was used to measure health-deviation self-care behaviors. An investigator developed questionnaire assessed sociodemographic characteristics. Findings included positive correlations between universal self-care and health, health-deviation self-care and universal self-care, health-deviation self-care and health, universal self-care and age, universal self-care and sleep hour, age at onset of diabetes mellitus and health-deviation self-care, age at onset of diabetes mellitus and universal self-care, and age at onset of diabetes mellitus and health; and negative correlations between duration of diabetes mellitus and health-deviation self-care, duration of diabetes mellitus and age of subjects, health-deviation self-care and metabolic control, and universal self-care and metabolic control. Significant differences were found among some of the groups in relation to health-deviation self-care and source of support and universal self-care and source of support. Subjects who received support from a friend in addition to family support reported higher universal self-care behaviors than those without support. Health explained 76% of variance in universal self-care behaviors while support system explained 16% of variance in the health-deviation self-care. Recommendations for future research and for nursing interventions included increasing the number of subjects with Type II diabetes mellitus to generalize findings, further inquiry regarding the number and source of support to facilitate health-deviation self-care behaviors and continued assessment of the source of support and perception of health state to facilitate self-care behaviors.