Understanding Self-Care Behaviours among Type II Diabetes Patients: A Behaviour Change Models' Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Self-care behaviours among diabetes patients is often hindered because of various psycho-social factors which become obstacles to their better diabetes management and its proper outcome. The current study aims to find out these psycho-social factors that influence the execution of self-care behaviours among Type II diabetes patients from the perspective of various behaviour change models. METHODS: The study adopted a correlational research design. A total of 266 participants above the age group of 18 years and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were selected using purposive sampling from the Indian state of Karnataka. The data were collected using The Health Belief Questionnaire, Theory of Planned Behaviour Questionnaire (TPBQ), Socio-Ecological Model Questionnaire, and Diabetic Self-Care Activities Revised (SDSCA-R). The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression. RESULTS: From the findings, it was observed that the domains of perceived susceptibility, cues to action and subjective norms are positively correlated with self-care behaviours significantly at p<0.05 levels, while the domains of socio-ecological theory, personal, interpersonal, media and policy and community organizations are significantly positively correlated with self-care behaviour at p<0.01 levels. The linear regression of the domains of health belief model, theory of planned behaviour and socio-ecological theory on self-care behaviour showed that the statistically significant final model explained 14.9% (R2 =.149), F (3,262) =15.337, p< 0.000. The significant predictors are community at p<0.000 level, self-efficacy and perceived severity at p<0.05 levels. CONCLUSION: The study results ascertain the necessity of a psychosocial approach or the sociocognitive perspective to understand the factors that actually enable a diabetes patient to engage in more self-care behaviours. In the Indian scenario, where health literacy is very minimum, the findings of the study can be used to implement better strategies for diabetes management both at the level of medical/mental health professionals and at the level of media and policy.

Tuning of intrinsic antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic ordering in microporous α-MnO2 by inducing tensile strain.

By employing first principles density functional calculations, we investigated an α-MnO2 compound with a tunnel framework, which provides an eminent platform to alter the intrinsic antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) ordering, through the introduction of chemical or mechanical tensile strain. Our calculations further showed that the strength of FM ordering increases until 10% triaxial tensile strain. Since long range FM ordering is induced, it is realized to be superior as compared to the experimentally observed short-range FM ordering in oxygen-deficient compound. The driving force behind this superior effect is understood from the unusual electron occupancy in Mn atoms as a result of tetrahedral distortion in the MnO6 octahedra and an increase in the sp3 character of the oxygen atoms. Thus, the α-MnO2 compound belongs to a class of materials that exhibit good potential for piezomagnetic applications.