Abstract
This study was a cross-sectional survey research that aimed to study the factors related to blood sugar level among diabetes mellitus type 2 patients. The sample consisted of 400 patients who visited outpatient department at hospitals in Satun province during March until May 2017. The instruments for data collection comprised 5 parts: (1) personal information, (2) information on treatment patterns, (3) results of the treatment, (4) knowledge on diabetes, and (5) self-care behaviors of 58 items. Data were analyzed by using binary logistic regression. The results showed that 25.0 per cent of diabetes mellitus type 2 patients were able to control blood sugar levels (HbA1c <7). The occupation and self-care behaviors were significant factors correlated with blood sugar control at the 0.05 level. Diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who did not have occupation were 2.71 times more likely to control blood sugar (HbA1c <7) than those who had occupation (ORadj = 2.71, 95% CI = 1.19-6.17). Likewise, diabetes mellitus type 2 patients who had low level of health care behaviors were 0.54 times less likely to control blood sugar (HbA1c <7) than those who had high level of health care behaviors (ORadj = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.29-0.99). Therefore, public health personnel must emphasize and develop a pattern of caring for type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, especially in those with no occupation and low level of health care behaviors to better control blood sugar level.
