The Effect of Stigmatization on Diabetes Health Promotion Self‐Care Behaviours and Predictors of Stigma and Self‐Care Behaviours in Individuals With Type 2 Diabetes.

Background: Individuals with type 2 diabetes are at risk of delaying or not performing diabetes health promotion self‐care behaviours because of their social or self‐stigmatization. Aim: The study aimed to reveal the effect of stigmatization on diabetes health promotion self‐care behaviours and predictors of stigma and diabetes health promotion self‐care behaviours in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods: This cross‐sectional study included 235 individuals with type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Stigma Assessment Scale (DSAS) and Diabetes Health Promotion Self‐Care Scale (DHPSCS) were used for data collection. Results: There was a significant, negative correlation between the DSAS and DHPSCS scores. High mean scores on the DSAS and its subscales treated differently, blame/judgement and self‐stigma were predictors of a negative effect on diabetes self‐care behaviours. Poor health status, alcohol intake and diabetes complications are predictive of stigma. Insulin use and self‐monitoring blood glucose are predictors of self‐care behaviours. Conclusion: Stigma negatively affects diabetes self‐care behaviours in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Nurses could provide education on improvement of health status, harms of alcohol intake and management of diabetes complications. Counselling for coping with stigma and performing self‐care could be provided. Nurses could organize interventions to raise awareness about diabetes in society. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Diabetes health promotion self‐care behaviours are important to ensure diabetes management in individuals with type 2 diabetes.Stigmatization is known to negatively affect individuals with type 2 diabetes. What this paper adds? Negative correlations were found between stigmatization and diabetes health promotion self‐care behaviours.Treated differently, blame and judgement and self‐stigma were found to be predictors of a negative effect on diabetes health promotion self‐care.Poor health status, diabetes complications and drinking alcohol were found to be predictors of diabetes stigma. The implications of this paper: Nurses should deliver education on enhancement of health status, damages of alcohol intake and management of diabetes complications.Nurses should offer psychosocial support programmes to avoid self‐stigma in individuals with type 2 diabetes.Nurses could perform interventions to increase awareness about diabetes in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]