Relationship between ego depletion and health promotion behaviors in older adults with diabetes: A cross-sectional study in Shanghai, China

In recent years, the prevalence of diabetes in the elderly has risen sharply, and diabetes and its related complications seriously affect the physical and mental health of patients. Health promotion behaviors are extremely important in preventing the onset and development of diabetes. Ego depletion is a common negative psychological experience among most patients with chronic disease, which affects their performance of health-promoting behaviors. However, the relationship between ego depletion and health-promoting behaviors in elderly patients with diabetes is unclear. We assessed the relationship between ego depletion and health-promoting behaviors in older people with diabetes, and the factors influencing health-promoting behaviors. The 751 participants had an ego depletion score of 44.55 ± 6.62 and a health-promoting behavior score of 77.61 ± 18.72, with a significant negative correlation between ego depletion and health-promoting behavior (<i>r</i> = -0.320, <i>p</i> < 0.001). The level of health promotion behaviors was higher in patients with a high school level of education and above (<i>p</i> < 0.001), living with a spouse and children (<i>p</i> = 0.010) and having received diabetes-related health education (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and the cognitive (<i>p</i> < 0.001), emotional (<i>p</i> < 0.001) and behavioral control dimensions of ego depletion (<i>p</i> = 0.016) were significant predictors of health promotion behaviors. Nursing staff should provide personalized care for patients with a low level education, who are living alone, and who have not received health education to prevent or respond to patient ego depletion and to improve patients' health promotion behaviors.