The relationship between hope level and self-management behaviors in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a chain-mediated role of social support and disease perception.

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and one of the fastest- growing global health emergencies of the 21st century. The relationships between hope level, social support, disease perception, and self-management behaviors are still unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to create a structural equation model to investigate the underlying mechanisms of self-management behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and provide a theoretical basis for future interventions.
Methods: By using cross-sectional studies and convenience sampling methods. A survey was conducted from June 2023 to April 2024 on 404 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at the First and Third Hospitals of Jinzhou Medical University. Data were collected using scales, including the General Information Questionnaire, the Herth Hope Scale, the Social Support Rating Scale, the Brief Disease Perception Questionnaire, and the Diabetes Self-Management Behavior Scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, Harman's one-way analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation test, structural equation modeling, and the bootstrap method to verify mediating effects.
Results: Correlation analyses showed that all four variables were significantly correlated with each other (p < 0.01). Social support had the strongest correlation with self-management behavior (β = 0.554, p < 0.01), followed by hope level (β = 0.543, p < 0.01), and disease perception (β = -0.505, p < 0.01). The structural equation model indicated a strong overall fit (χ ² /df = 3.378, GFI = 0.926, CFI = 0.924, IFI = 0.925, TLI = 0.903, RMSEA = 0.077).
Conclusion: Overall, the chain mediation of social support and disease perception was significant. In developing targeted intervention strategies, future research should prioritize enhancing hope, optimizing social support, and reducing negative perceptions of disease by patients as key areas of focus. At the same time, strengthening self-management abilities and health behaviors in patients with type 2 diabetes should not be neglected.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)