THE EFFECT OF COGNITIVE STATE ON THE MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN DIABETIC OLD PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to identify the effect of cognitive state on the management of diabetes and the quality of life in diabetic old patients. Materials and Methods: The research was designed as a cross-sectional study, and its population was comprised of diabetic old patients who were admitted to the Diabetes Training Center of a public hospital in Turkey from May 2018 to October 2018, and the research sample was composed of 120 diabetic old patients who satisfied the criteria for being included in the research. The research data were collected by using the Patient Information Form, the Mini-Mental State Exam, the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire, and the Ferrans and Powers Quality of Life Index/Diabetes Version-III. The collected data were analyzed by using the descriptive statistical methods, independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and the chi-squared test, and the statistical significance was identified if the p-value was (p<0.05). Results: It was found that 40% of the participants had cognitive disorders, and cognitive disorder was more prevalent among the female participants (64.6%) and the participants who were elementary school graduates (53.0%). The participants with good cognitive states obtained a higher mean score from the Foot Care sub-scale of the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire (3.97±2.89 points). The participants with cognitive disorder obtained higher median scores from the Social and Economic sub-scale (70.3 points) and Psychological/Spiritual sub-scale (8.39 points) of the Quality of Life Index. It was identified that the scores obtained by the participants from the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Questionnaire and Mini-Mental State Exam had a positive weak linear relationship, and as the patients had a better cognitive state, they performed more self-care activities for diabetes (p<0.05). Conclusion: The cognitive disorder identified in nearly half of the participants has statistically significant relationships with the participants’ gender, education level, and social and economic domain and psychological/spiritual domain of the quality of the participants’ lives.