Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Regimen Adherence in Self-Care of Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Abstract
Self-Care is the most critical component of the non-insulin dependent diabetic's treatment regimen. The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the extent of perceived self-efficacy and to examine the relationship between perceived self-efficacy and demographic, disease-related, and behavior-related regimen variables. Data were collected from a convenience sample of individuals who participated in the diabetes education program at a major military medical center and consisted of answers to a self administered questionnaire which included questions about demographic characteristics, disease-related characteristics, and behavior related to diabetes regimen adherence. The questionnaire also included the Diabetes Self-Efficacy Scale, a 21 item Likert-type tool developed specifically to measure self-efficacy in diabetics. Data were collected from 27 participants over a two month period and were analyzed and reported using descriptive statistics. Of the 27 participants, 11 reported that they had developed at least one complication that was directly related to the diabetes disease process. Self-efficacy in the complications group was found to be markedly lower than that of the noncomplication subsample. This is consistent with self-efficacy theory. While the study did not definitively answer the questions it set out to due to small sample size and over-reliance on self-reporting, the results support the value of further investigation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1997
- Accession Number
- AD1011646
Entities
People
- Kathleen A. French
Organizations
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences