Self-care and health-related quality of life in Mexican older adults with type 2 diabetes.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in the world and represents one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. The evidence suggests that inadequate self-care behavior among patients with chronic diseases might negatively affect their health-related quality of life (HRQoL); however, the evidence in older adults with diabetes is inconclusive, and the information is scarce in the Mexican context. Therefore, this study aimed to determine self-care behavior and HRQoL in Mexican older adults with T2D and evaluate the association between both variables.

Materials and methods: An analytical cross-sectional design was used. Participants (n = 300) were recruited at six senior centers in Hidalgo, Mexico. The Self-Care Capacity and Perception Test for Older Adults and the brief version of the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF) were used to assess self-care behavior and HRQoL, respectively. The associations between the variables of interest were evaluated by logistic regression models adjusted for confounders.

Results: Older adults with inadequate self-care behavior were more likely to have poor HRQoL in all domains of the WHOQOL-BREF: physical health [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 4.10; 95% CI = 1.59, 10.57], psychological health (aOR = 6.98; 95% CI = 2.41, 20.19), social relationships (aOR = 7.02; 95% CI = 2.64, 18.67), and environmental health (aOR = 4.25; 95%CI = 1.43, 11.50). Partially adequate self-care behavior also showed a significant association with poor HRQoL.

Conclusion: Self-care behavior was independently associated with HRQoL in Mexican older adults with T2D. Thus, it is important to plan awareness-raising interventions to improve self-care behaviors in older adults with chronic conditions.