Factors Associated with Blood Sugar Control Among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Huai Kapi Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chonburi Province

Abstract

This cross-sectional descriptive research aimed to investigate the relationships among personal factors, knowledge of diabetes, and the Health Belief Model (HBM) in the context of blood sugar level control among patients with type 2 diabetes in Huai Kapi Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chonburi Province. The sample group consisted of 67 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, and data were collected through questionnaires covering personal factors, knowledge of diabetes, health belief models, blood sugar control, and HbA1c values from medical records. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical tests, including the Chi-square test and Binary Logistic Regression. The results revealed a statistically significant relationship between age, occupation, and the control of blood sugar levels (with p-values of 0.012 and 0.010, respectively). Individuals aged 35–59 and those aged 60 and above tended to have 1.26 and 1.88 times better control of blood sugar levels, respectively, compared to those under 35 years old (p-values = 0.039 and 0.045, respectively). Furthermore, individuals who were not employed (housewives and husbands) tended to have 1.37 times better control of blood sugar levels compared to those who were employed (p-value = 0.038). Factors such as gender, education level, marital status, income, duration of diabetes, underlying disease, family history of diabetes, receipt of information, accessibility to healthcare, treatment follow-up, body mass index, knowledge of diabetes, and Health Belief Models (including risk perception, severity perception, perceived benefits of self-care, and perceived barriers) were found to have no significant relationship with blood sugar control in this research. The findings suggest that age and occupational background are key determinants of blood sugar control in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Recognizing the significance of these factors can inform the development of more targeted interventions, empowering patients to enhance their diabetes self-management and maintain optimal blood sugar levels.