The role of family support in diabetes self‐management among rural adult patients

Abstract

AbstractAims and ObjectivesThis study aimed to investigate the role of the family in supporting diabetes self‐management and explore the possible mechanisms between family and diabetes self‐management among rural patients in China.BackgroundThe prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is growing rapidly in rural areas of China, where healthcare resources remain relatively poor and family members play an important role in chronic disease self‐management.DesignThis was a multicentre cross‐sectional study.MethodsA total of 276 adults with T2DM were recruited from nine county hospitals in China. Diabetes self‐management, family support, family function, and family self‐efficacy were evaluated using the mature scales. A theoretical model was built based on the social learning family model and previous studies and then verified using a structural equation model. The STROBE statement was used to standardise the study procedure.ResultsFamily support and general family factors, including family function and self‐efficacy, were positively correlated with diabetes self‐management. Family support fully mediates the relationship between family function and diabetes self‐management and partially mediates the relationship between family self‐efficacy and diabetes self‐management. The model explained 41% of the variability in diabetes self‐management and had a good model fit.ConclusionGeneral family factors can explain nearly half of the change in diabetes self‐management in rural areas of China, while family support is a mediator between general family factors and diabetes self‐management. Family self‐efficacy, a potential intervention point of family based diabetes self‐management education, can be improved by building special lessons for family members.Relevance to Clinical PracticeThis study emphasises the role of family in diabetes self‐management and proposes suggestions for diabetes self‐management intervention among patients with T2DM in rural areas of China.Patient or Public ContributionPatients and their family members completed the questionnaire which was used for data collection.