Elderly Diabetic Patients' Attitudes and Beliefs about Health and Illness

Importance: For effective management of diabetes, it is important and crucial to understand the beliefs of older diabetic patients in relation to differences in living with the disease and facing the related problems.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the attitudes and beliefs about illness and health of older diabetic patients.

Methods: This study was conducted as a descriptive study. Sample was calculated with power analysis (%90 power, 5% level of significance and 0.40 effect size) and included 70 diabetes patients aged 65 and older. Data was collected with Socio-Demographic Form and Health Belief Model Scale by face-to-face method. The Health Belief Model Scale was developed by Tan (2004) based on five sub dimensions of the Health Belief Model: perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and recommended health-related activities. Study was approved by universities ethical committee and written consent was obtained from patients. Data was analyzed with descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U test, t-test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Welch variance analysis, and Spearman correlation.

Results: Older diabetic patients’ attitudes about illness and health was negative. Individuals` aged 65–70 years with higher than secondary education and work experience, perceived seriousness mean scores were found to be significantly high. Perceived barriers mean scores were found to be high and statistically significant in participants who defined their economic status as well, adherence to nutritional therapy as well/very well, and who exercised and checked their blood sugar regularly. Patients` perceived benefit and recommended health-related activity scores who declared education need were significantly high.

Conclusion: With advaced age, attitudes and beliefs about health and illness become negative and the perceived severity of illness decreases. Patients who were female, aged 70 and older, with low education and low economic status, with poor adherence to treatment and medical nutrition therapy, and need diabetes-related education had a negative health belief and were found to be particularly at risk. The results of this study could help in planning of individual assessments of older adults, the development of educational activities to support good diabetes management, the prevention of complications, the enhancement of treatment adherence and the management of factors influencing health behaviours.