[Self-care practices performed by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Cartagena- Colombia, 2021Práticas de autocuidado de pacientes com diabetes mellitus tipo 2 em Cartagena, Colômbia. 2021].

Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic disease that can cause physical disability due to various multi organ complications. Self-care practices are essential for health maintenance and prevention of these complications.

Objective: To analyze the self-care practices performed by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Cartagena in 2021.

Materials and methods: An observational, analytical, cross sectional study was conducted on 100 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A questionnaire (socio demographics, patients' medical background, and self-care practices) was used for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analysis, and logistic regression analysis.

Results: Most patients had a 1-to-5-year diagnosis of diabetes (33%) and blood glucose >140 mg/dl (40%). There were hygiene (66%), diet (60%), and sleep (50%) good practices, but low physical activity (61%). Self-care practices were significantly associated with physical activity risk and not having school or primary education (OR: 15.44; 95% CI 2.78 85.48). They are a dietary protector, when aged between 41 and 56 years (OR: 0.07; 95% CI 0.00-0.60), 52 and 72 years (OR: 0.04; 95% CI 0.00-0.42) and older than 73 years (OR: 0.01; 95% CI 0.00-0.28).

Discussion: The population had a good level of self-care practices. It is consistent with what was observed by other authors; which determined that a large part of the sample had a high level of general knowledge about self-care.

Conclusions: The self-care practices carried out by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus are generally good in terms of hygiene, diet and sleep, and poor in terms of physical activity.