ABSTRACT
Abstract Glycemic Self Control in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Wisit Chaveepojnkamjorn DVM, MPH* Natchaporn Pichainarong DrPH* Muhsin Thabirauta MPH** *Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University **Nursing Academy, Health Department, Banda Aceh, Indonesia Objective: To study factors of knowledge, self care and social support affecting the glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Study design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: Diabetes Clinic, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital. Subjects: Two hundred and fifteen type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who attended the Diabetes Clinic, BMA Medical College and Vajira Hospital from January to February 2001 were divided into glycemic control group and non control group. Methods: Data were collected by questionnaires which comprised five parts: part 1 general characteristics including demography and socio-economy, part 2 knowledge of diabetes, part 3 self care, part 4 social support, and part 5 fasting blood glucose result. The obtained data were analyzed by statistical program. Main outcome measures: Mean and standard deviation of knowledge, self care and social support factors. Results: The average knowledge of diabetes was in high level (\> 80%) while the average self care and social support were in moderate level. Both groups were similar in general except gender (p=0.047), monthly family income (p=0.017) and marital status (p=0.012). Knowledge of diabetes, self care and social support were compared between groups of FBS control and group of disable FBS control. The result revealed that knowledge of diabetes in the aspect of prevention and an overview of the former group was better than the latter one (p = 0.006 and 0.013 respectively). However the average of knowledge in cause, sign and symptom, and treatment and self care in food, exercise, and drug of the former group were higher than the latter one. Conclusion: Knowledge of diabetes mellitus in both groups was in high level. However, the knowledge of prevention in fasting blood sugar control group was statistically higher than the other while self care and social support were in moderate level in both groups. Key words: diabetes mellitus, type 2, self controlVajira Med J 2002 ; 46 : 125 - 133