Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) has become a global health challenge. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is one of the common comorbidities of T2D that may affect the ability to perform diabetes self-care.
Purpose: To compare self-care practices between adult T2D patients with and without comorbid DPN and identify factors predicting self-care practices.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, conducted at tertiary hospitals in Ethiopia, a total of 216 (108 with DNP and 108 without DNP) participants completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire including measures of diabetes self-care practices, self-evaluated peripheral neuropathy, self-efficacy, diabetes knowledge, and social support.
Results: Adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN had lower dietary (P< 0.001), exercise (P< 0.001), blood glucose testing (P = 0.001), and foot (P = 0.007) self-care practice than those without DPN. Social support is a significant predictor of dietary self-care in both groups while predicting foot self-care and blood glucose testing in those with comorbid DPN. Moreover, occupation, education, and having a glucometer are significant predictors of diabetes self-care practice in both groups.
Conclusion: This study found that adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN have poorer diabetes self-care practice than those without comorbid DPN. Interventions should focus on addressing social support and access to a glucometer in order to improve diabetes self-care practices in adult T2D patients with comorbid DPN.
Keywords: Diabetes self-care; comorbidity; nursing; peripheral neuropathy; type 2 diabetes.