Elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the community: A study of self-management, depression, and their correlation

Objectives This study sought to assess the self-management capabilities and depressive symptoms of community-dwelling older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to investigate the correlation between these variables. Methods This cross-sectional study employed a convenience sampling technique to administer a questionnaire-based survey among 300 elderly patients diagnosed with T2DM, who also had existing health records at the Yanji City Park Community Health Center. The data collection took place between December 2023 and February 2024. The survey comprised sections on general demographic information, a diabetes self-care scale, and a self-rating depression scale. Results The self-management capabilities of older patients with T2DM were found to be moderate, with 26.0% of the cohort experiencing symptoms of depression. A significant negative correlation was identified between self-management and depression scores ( r = -0.219, P < 0.01). Univariate analysis indicated significant variations in terms of age, marital status, educational attainment, living conditions, income, occupation, presence of complications, acceptance of diabetes health education, and self-management levels among patients with differing depressive statuses ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that age, presence of complications, acceptance of diabetes health education, and self-management level significantly influenced depression among older patients with T2DM ( P < 0.05). Conclusion Healthcare professionals are encouraged to enhance patient health education by taking into account factors such as the individual's self-management capabilities, age, existing complications, prior health education, and physiological indicators and assessments. It is imperative to integrate depression screening into the standard diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for elderly patients with T2DM.