Self-Care Practice and Associated Factors Among Older Adults of Type 2 Diabetic Patients Attending Public Hospitals of Buno-Bedele Zone: A Mixed-Method Study.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults worldwide, particularly in low-resource countries.Self-care is important for T2DM management by controlling further complications and maintaining the well-being of the patients. Objective:The aim of this study is to assess self-care practice and associated factors among older adults of T2DM patients who are attending public hospitals in the Buno Bedele zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022.Methods: Facility-based mixed design was conducted from April 15/2022 to June 20/2022.About 386 T2DM patients were selected using a systematic random sampling for the quantitative and 13 key informants were determined using the purposively sampling technique for the qualitative approach.Pre-tested structured and semi-structured face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaires and guiding questions were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.Data was entered into Epidata version 4.6 and exported to the statistical package of social science version 25 for analysis.Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression was analyzed and significance was approved at p-value <0.05 with 95% confidence intervals for quantitative analysis.Idea saturation and thematic analysis were used for the qualitative approach.Results: Out of 386 (95.5%) respondents, 174 (45.1%) had good diabetes self-care practice.Favourable attitudes [AOR=2.03;95% CI: (1.13-3.64)],having complications [AOR=6.56;95% CI: (3.38-12.77)],having your own glucometer [AOR= 5.78; 95% CI: (2.14-12.52)],family care and support [(AOR= 3.01; 95% CI: (1.68-5.41),and follow-up adherence [AOR=3.84;95% CI: (1.60-9.19)]were significantly associated with good diabetes self-care practice.Knowledge of DM, good adherence to medication and medical advice, challenges of diabetes self-care practice, self-care benefits, and recognition of diabetes complications were themes that emerged in the qualitative analysis. Conclusion:The practice of self-care among T2DM patients was low.Family care & support, having your own glucometer, favourable attitudes, appointment adherence, and diabetes complications were positively associated with good diabetes self-care practice, and knowledge of DM, good adherence to medication and medical advice, challenges of diabetes self-care practice, self-care benefits, and recognition of diabetes complications were themes emerged from qualitative finding.Recommendation: Self-care advice should be continued to improve T2DM self-care practice that reduces the complications of DM.