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 () and Alicja Kucharska
Additional contact information
Beata Irena Sińska: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 27 Erazma Ciołka Street, 01-445 Warsaw, Poland
Karolina Dłużniak-Gołaska: Pediatric Clinical Hospital—University Clinical Center, Medical University of Warsaw, 63A Żwirki I Wigury Street, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
Mariusz Jaworski: Department of Education and Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 14/16 Litewska Street, 00-575 Warsaw, Poland
Mariusz Panczyk: Department of Education and Research in Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 14/16 Litewska Street, 00-575 Warsaw, Poland
Aneta Duda-Zalewska: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, Jana Nielubowicza Street 5, Blok F, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
Iwona Traczyk: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 27 Erazma Ciołka Street, 01-445 Warsaw, Poland
Urszula Religioni: School of Public Health, Centre of Postgraduate Medical Education of Warsaw, Kleczewska 61/63, 01-826 Warsaw, Poland
Alicja Kucharska: Department of Human Nutrition, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 27 Erazma Ciołka Street, 01-445 Warsaw, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-14

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; self-control/self-care; responsibility for health; type 1 diabetes mellitus (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13173/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/20/13173/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:20:p:13173-:d:940923

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().