Risk of ulceration in people with diabetes mellitus and factors associated with adherence to self-care.

OBJECTIVES

to analyze sociodemographic, clinical, and ulceration risk factors associated with adherence to self-care in people with diabetes mellitus in Primary Health Care.

METHODS

this cross-sectional study included 769 people with diabetes mellitus using the Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire. Univariate analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to verify the associations.

RESULTS

44.1% of participants presented a risk for foot ulceration. Factor analysis indicates that blood sugar testing and medication adherence have the highest factor loadings (λ=0.76 and λ=0.54, respectively) in adherence to self-care for diabetes mellitus. The number of appointments, diagnosis time, and polypharmacy were associated with blood sugar testing and medication adherence.

CONCLUSIONS

adherence to self-care remains centered on biomedical practices. More than half of the sample presented a risk for foot ulceration, which reinforces the need for more effective preventive actions in Primary Care.