The contribution of self esteem and self-care behaviors to the eating attitudes: A correlational study in type 2 diabetes patients

Context: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder. Self-care plays a crucial role in the management of diabetes. Self esteem can affect diabetes management. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the contribution of self esteem and diabetes self-care behaviors to the eating attitudes of patients with T2DM. Setting and Design: This study was conducted in a University Hospital between November 2019 and March 2020. Materials and Methods: The sample of this cross-sectional and descriptive study was composed of 150 patients with T2DM. Descriptive Characteristics Form, Coopersmith self esteem Inventory, and Eating Attitude Test were used to collect data. Statistical Analysis: SPSS 25 software was used along with descriptive and inferential statistics in data analysis. Results: It was found that the self esteem mean score of the patients with T2DM was 63.60 (±15.92), 26% of them had an impaired eating attitude, and there was no statistically significant correlation between eating attitude and self esteem of patients with T2DM (P > 0.05). Conclusions: It was concluded that high self esteem, and self-esteem of patients with T2DM were not associated with eating attitude.