Health Beliefs, Compliance, and Control of Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract
The problem of compliance and control in the treatment of diabetic patients is widely recognized. However, compliance research is contradictory and impractical as a basis for intervention to improve the patient''s adherence to his medical regimen. Health beliefs may provide an opportunity to intervene to improve compliance and control of the disease. The health beliefs of 93 male diabetic patients were examined and correlated with behavioral and physiologic measures of compliance gathered at a follow-up interview. The belief in severity of illness related to compliance. Health beliefs were better predictors of metabolic control than compliance itself. Improving attitudes about care apparently is a means of directly influencing control of the disease.

This publication has 6 references indexed in Scilit: