Comparison of Self-Health Care Behaviors between Diabetic Patients with Uncontrolled Blood Sugar Levels and Those with Controlled Blood Sugar Levels in the Primary Care Cluster, Nong Na Saeng Subdistrict, Mueang District, Chaiyaphum Province

Abstract

The objective of this research was to compare the self-health care behaviors of diabetic patients with uncontrolled blood sugar levels to those with controlled blood sugar levels in the primary care cluster, Nong Na Saeng subdistrict, Mueang district, Chaiyaphum province. This research was a cross-sectional study involved 300 diabetic patients of type 1 and type 2, aged 18 and above. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and Chi-Square test.

The results revealed that 177 patients had uncontrolled blood sugar levels, while 123 had controlled levels. Significant differences (p<0.05) in self-health care behaviors between the two groups were observed in the following areas: consumption of green leafy vegetables (87.6% vs 76.4%), drinking at least 2 liters of water per day (92.7% vs 85.4%), eating brown rice (30.0% vs 42.3%), drinking sugary beverages (46.3% vs 35.0%), consuming sweets (82.5% vs 69.1%), eating sweet fruits (81.4% vs 67.5%), eating foods prepared with coconut milk (65.0% vs 50.4%), cooking with fish sauce or soy sauce (74.0% vs 62.6%), eating sausages (75.7% vs 58.5%), forgetting to take medication (44.6% vs 32.5%), and keeping up with healthcare knowledge (96.1% vs 89.4%). In conclusion, the diabetic patients with uncontrolled blood sugar levels tend to consume more sweet, fatty, and salty foods and are more likely to forget to take their medication. Therefore, a program to modify these behaviors should be implemented for these patients.