Relationship between Health-Promoting Behaviors and Family Perceived Social Support in Type ۲ Diabetes Patients

Aims: Evaluating diabetics’ health-promoting behaviors is an essential part of nursing care. This study aimed to examine the relationship between health-promoting behaviors and perceived social support from the family in patients with type ۲ diabetes. Instrument & Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The data were collected from a foundation university hospital in Tabriz, Iran. The sample consisted of ۱۸۳ type ۲ diabetes patients. Data were collected using the Perceived Social Support from Family and Health-Promoting Behaviors scales. Findings: The average score of social support was ۱۵.۰۷±۶.۷۴ (range: ۰ to ۲۰), and the average score of health-promoting behaviors was ۴۹.۶۲±۱۷.۷۴ (range: ۰ to ۱۱۲). There was a significant and positive correlation between the scores of health-promoting behaviors and perceived social support (r=۰.۲۸, p<۰.۰۰۱). We predicted the changes in health-promoting behaviors based on the regression analysis of the changes in perceived social support from the family (B=۰.۵۶۳). Conclusions: Family social support affects health-promoting behaviors in type ۲ diabetes patients, and should be considered during interventions to improve health-promoting behaviors by nurses and other healthcare providers. We suggest other descriptive correlational studies with a higher sample size and interventional studies on this subject.

Keywords:

Health , Social Support , Family , Diabetes Mellitus