Self-Care Techniques and Their Association with Glycemic Control in Older Mexican Adults with Type 2 Diabetes in a Primary Care Centre

Introduction: The guidelines of the International Diabetes Federation (T2D) emphasise the importance of self-care in the comprehensive management of the disease. A high level of self-care for both the patient and their family reduces complications and hospitalisations. Self-care techniques are associated with glycemic control in populations from the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, with limitations in Mexican studies. Objective: To associate self-care techniques and glycemic control in older Mexican adults with Type 2 diabetes. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional, analytical study was conducted in adults aged 60 to 70 years old diagnosed with T2D and without complications. Glycosylated haemoglobin levels were recorded, and the Self-Care Practice Survey for Older Adults with Diabetes was applied. For statistical purposes, the poor and regular categories of self-care were combined resulting in a dichotomous scale: Poor and good self-care techniques. A multiple binary logistic regression model was performed with the variables: self-care techniques, gender, evolution p value. Results: Of the 204 subjects, 54.9% were women, 69.1% had poor self-care techniques, and 51% had poor glycemic control. In the adjusted model, poor self-care techniques had an Exp B of 2.9 [95% CI 1.5 - 5.5] and p Conclusions: These findings emphasise the relevance of using psychobehavioural variables, such as self-care, in the comprehensive care of geriatric patients with T2D in primary care centres.