ABSTRACT
Self care of diabetes is essential for control of disease and improvement of quality of patients' life. The aim of this study was to assess factors influencing self-care practice of patients in urban area of Urmia, Northwest of Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 400 diabetic patients were randomly selected from eight healthcare centers in Urmia City in 2010. Data collection tools was a questionnaire included data on demographic characteristics, diabetes statues, and self-care practice. Patients' self-care practice was classified to good, moderate, and poor levels. ANOVA and Chi-square tests were used to exam the association between self-care practice and clinical and behavioral factors. Spearman's rho correlation was used to examine the relation between self-care practice and control of glycemia. The patients' self-care practice was good in 15.1%, moderate in 58.7%, and poor in 26.2%. There was a significant association between education [P=0.030], duration of disease [P=0.04], and treatment intensity [P=0.001] and self-care practice of patients. Despite the important role of self-care practice in management of diabetes and preventing its serious complications, most patients who have medical record in health care centers had inappropriate self-care practice especially in SMBG, which has critical role in controlling diabetes