Undertaking Healthy Nutrition Behaviors by Patients with Type 1 Diabetes as an Important Element of Self-Care

Beata Irena Sińska; Karolina Dłużniak-Gołaska; Mariusz Jaworski; Mariusz Panczyk; Aneta Duda-Zalewska; Iwona Traczyk; Urszula Religioni; Alicja Kucharska

doi:10.3390/ijerph192013173

Undertaking Healthy Nutrition Behaviors by Patients with Type 1 Diabetes as an Important Element of Self-Care

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 13;19(20):13173. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192013173.

Authors

Beata Irena Sińska¹, Karolina Dłużniak-Gołaska², Mariusz Jaworski³, Mariusz Panczyk³, Aneta Duda-Zalewska⁴, Iwona Traczyk¹, Urszula Religioni⁵, Alicja Kucharska¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 27 Erazma Ciołka Street, 01-445 Warsaw, Poland.
² Pediatric Clinical Hospital-University Clinical Center, Medical University of Warsaw, 63A Żwirki I Wigury Street, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland.
³ Department of Education and Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 14/16 Litewska Street, 00-575 Warsaw, Poland.
⁴ Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Jana Nielubowicza Street 5, Blok F, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ School of Public Health, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education of Warsaw, Kleczewska 61/63, 01-826 Warsaw, Poland.

Abstract

Background: Self-control/self-care means the active participation of a diabetic patient in therapy. It involves making numerous decisions and undertaking actions independently. The primary activities under the patient's control include adherence to medication regimens and maintenance of a health-promoting lifestyle, especially a healthy diet. However, the sense of responsibility for one's own health, i.e., high sense of responsibility (HSR), is an important element in the treatment of diabetes and in undertaking pro-health behaviors. The study aimed at analyzing adherence to dietary recommendations in the context of HSR in patients with type 1 diabetes.

Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on a group of 394 adults. The assessment of adherence to dietary recommendations was performed with the present authors' Diabetes Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index (DDGA Index). The measurement of HSR was performed with the standardized Sense of Responsibility for Health Scale (HSRS). The assessment of the multifactorial influence of independent variables on the DDGA Index, including the "responsibility for health" variable, was conducted with the use of a linear regression model.

Results: The mean DDGA value was 18.68 (SD = 3.97). The patients significantly more often avoided unhealthy products than included recommended products into the diet at a required frequency. A positive correlation was demonstrated between HSR and adherence to dietary recommendations (β_std. = 0.43, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The sense of responsibility for one's health plays a main role in adherence to dietary recommendations in diabetes. Our study showed that a higher sense of responsibility for health was associated with a higher level of adherence to dietary recommendations. Patients with a high sense of responsibility for one's health will be more involved in the therapeutic process, including adherence to dietary recommendations. Therefore, all education actions should comprise not only dietary knowledge transfer and shaping appropriate skills, but they should also strengthen the sense of responsibility for one's health.

Keywords: healthy diet; responsibility for health; self-control/self-care; type 1 diabetes mellitus.

MeSH terms

Adult
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1* / therapy
Diet, Healthy
Humans
Patient Compliance
Self Care*

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.