Abstract:
Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a worldwide health problem and a significant issue in Sri Lanka.
Self-care recommendations on diabetes self-care activities for patients with T2DM are vital parts of the
clinical management of diabetes. There is a paucity of data regarding the types of self-care
recommendations given by healthcare professionals for patients with T2DM in Sri Lanka. A descriptive
cross-sectional study was conducted among purposively selected adults with T2DM (n=300)to
determine the types of self-care recommendations given by healthcare professionals. Data were
analyzed using descriptive statistics. Ethical approval was granted from the Ethics Review Committees
of the Faculty of Medical Sciences and the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital. Types of self-care
recommendations were assessed by using a pre-tested diabetes self- care activities questionnaire, which
includes recommendations regarding diet, physical activities (PA), self-monitoring of blood glucose
(SMBG) and testing urine for sugar. Out of 300 participants, the majority (68.7%) were female. From
the participants, more than half (52.7%) had good glycaemia control (FBS≤ 126 mg/dl). Most of the
participants (99.3%) received at least a single recommendation regarding their diet. Less than half
(39%) of the adults have received all the recommendations regarding their PA from the list. Majority
of the adults (73.3%) have received recommendations to get exercise such as walking and jogging daily.
Of the sample, 67% received a recommendation to use a glucometer to self-monitor their blood glucose
levels. Self-care recommendations were not significantly associated with glycaemia control. The health
professionals need to provide more health education for adults with T2DM to maintain their self-care
activities regularly.
