Explanatory Factors for Compliance to Self-Care Therapy among Type II Diabetics in Bandundu-Ville, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Diabetes is a real public health problem and a global economic burden that affects every country. Although its management is codified, most people with diabetes are unable to keep follow-up appointments. Thus, compliance with self-care, a concordance between therapeutic prescription and patient compliance, is therefore not limited to strict drug treatment. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that explain compliance to self-care in patients with type II diabetes in order to reduce the incidence of complications related to this century's pandemic. The survey was carried out at the General Reference Hospital of Bandundu-Ville in the Urban-Rural Health Zone of Bandundu-Ville, Kwilu province, DRC. This cross-sectional study conducted from March to April 2018, involved Type II diabetics. The sample size was determined based on the Fischer formula. So, 138 subjects were selected. The semi-structured interview was used with closed and/or open-ended questions designed on a Likert-type scale with seven choices of answers in the design of the items.

The findings show that the age varies between 46 and 76 years with an average age of 50 ±13.7 years. However, 71.0% of respondents were married, 49.3% had a secondary education while 61.6% were in the private sector. The probability of compliance to self-care in self-care (diabetic patients) influences the perception of threats caused by the onset of the disease (p>0.000, χ2 =20.1, α = 0.05).

In conclusion, the main determinants of compliance to self-care by diabetics to meet the time required by caregivers to take diabetes mellitus medications are in the following order of importance namely the perception of threats caused by the onset of the disease and expected outcomes. On the other hand, the sense of personal effectiveness is not significantly related to the compliance to self-care.