Factors Associated with Blood Glucose Control Behaviors among Patients with Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus at Chaloem Phrakiat 60th Anniversary Nawaminthrachini Health Station, Puyud Subdistrict, Mueang District, Pattani Province

Abstract

Abstract

This descriptive research aimed to study the association between health literacy and blood glucose control behaviors among patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes mellitus at Chaloem Phrakiat 60th Anniversary Nawaminthrachini Health Station, Puyud Subdistrict, Mueang District, Pattani Province. The population consisted of 321 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the study area. A sample of 193 participants was determined using Daniel’s sample size formula and selected by systematic random sampling. The data collection instrument was an interview questionnaire consisting of three sections: personal characteristics, health literacy, and blood glucose control behaviors. The questionnaire was validated for content validity by three experts and pilot-tested among 30 participants with characteristics similar to those of the study sample. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the overall questionnaire was 0.820. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient, with a statistical significance level of 0.05.

The results showed that overall health literacy was at a high level (Mean = 4.12, S.D. = 0.269), and overall blood glucose control behaviors were also at a high level (Mean = 3.82, S.D. = 0.318). Overall health literacy had a statistically significant moderate positive correlation with blood glucose control behaviors (r = 0.450, P-value< 0.001). Regarding the individual domains of health literacy, access to health information and health services had a moderate positive correlation with blood glucose control behaviors (r = 0.483, P-value< 0.001). Decision-making for appropriate practices (r = 0.313, P-value< 0.001), knowledge and understanding (r = 0.310, P-value< 0.001), self-management for safety (r = 0.247, P-value< 0.001), and communication for enhancing expertise (r = 0.149, P-value = 0.039) had low positive correlations with blood glucose control behaviors, respectively. Media and information literacy had a very low positive correlation with blood glucose control behaviors, but the correlation was not statistically significant (r = 0.069, P-value = 0.340)