THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DIABETES DISTRESS AND SELF-CARE IN
PATIENTS WITH DIABETES MELLITUS
Lutfi Wahyuni.
Umi Azizah Kusmaningrum Universitas Bina Sehat PPNI Mojokerto Corresponding Email:ltf.
hidayat@gmail.
ABSTRACT
Keywords One of the diseases that often occurs among the public is diabetes mellitus, a chronic condition that can cause worsening problems throughout the patient's life due to metabolic disorders that occur in the pancreas.
Diabetes sufferers often experience stress, anger, despair, frustration, and emotional disturbances called diabetes distress.
This study aims to determine the relationship between diabetes distress and self-care in diabetes sufferers.
This type of research uses a quantitative method, with a retrospective approach.
The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire that had been tested for validity in previous Respondents were 66 diabetes sufferers at the Bangsal Community Health Center (UPT Bangsa.
, selected using a total sampling technique.
The results of the analysis using the Spearman rho correlation test obtained a pvalue of 0.
000, indicating a relationship between diabetes distress and selfcare in diabetes sufferers at the Bangsal Community Health Center (UPT Bangsa.
The correlation coefficient value of -0.
644 indicates a strong closeness with a negative direction, meaning that the milder the diabetes distress, the better the self-care behavior.
Diabetes Distress.
Self Care.
Diabetes Mellitus
INTRODUCTION
One of the diseases with the highest prevalence in developing countries is diabetes mellitus, the number of which continues to increase annually.
Diabetes distress is a patient's concern about the quality of healthcare.
Symptoms of diabetes distress include loss of hope for recovery, low self-esteem, and a lack of capacity to maintain the lifestyle necessary to manage diabetes (Chukwuemeka et al.
, 2.
According to statistics.
Indonesia ranks fifth in the world for the number of diabetes In 2021, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) reported that 19.
5 million Indonesians aged 20 to 79 had diabetes mellitus (Webber, 2.
In East Java, the estimated number of diabetes sufferers reached 854,454 out of the population aged 15 years and older.
Health services for diabetes sufferers in 38 districts/cities in East Java have reached 59,187 .
6%) of the estimated number of sufferers.
In 2023, the number of diabetes mellitus sufferers in International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 Mojokerto City was 7,715 from 6 Community Health Centers with a prevalence of 100.
0% (Asiva Noor Rachmayani, 2.
In the working area of Bangsal Community Health Center UPT, cases of diabetes mellitus sufferers reached 1,244 cases, including 66 people participating in the Prolanis program and Bangsal Community Health Center itself was in the top 6 with the highest number of Diabetes Mellitus cases in Mojokerto Regency (Dinkes Kabupaten Mojokerto.
Anxiety, stress, sadness, fear, worry, hopelessness, and helplessness are mental health symptoms that may occur in individuals (Nugroho et al.
, 2.
Emotional distress related to diabetes can also result from personal concerns about health management, family support, emotional stress, and accessibility of care (Rahmi et al.
, 2.
This can influence selfcare behaviors (Putra Widayati, & Sutawardana, 2.
Self-care plays a crucial role in improving the well-being and quality of life of people with the disease.
Proper self-care practices can control blood sugar levels in people with diabetes mellitus, improving their quality of life (Srywahyuni.
Amelia, & Zulita, 2.
METHOD
This study design uses a cohort approach using retrospective data, which examines how risk and impact aspects interact through observation or data collection at one point in time .
oint-in-time The population in this study were all diabetes mellitus patients who participated in the prolanis program at the Bangsal Community Health Center UPT, totaling 66 people.
The sampling technique used was total sampling.
The independent variable was Diabetes Distress and the dependent variable was self-care.
The instruments in this study used the DDS (Diabetes Distress Scal.
questionnaire consisting of 17 questions and the SDSCA (Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activitie.
questionnaire consisting of 13 questions.
RESULTS
Responden Characteri Age 45-54 year 55-59 year >60 year Total Gender Male Female Total Long Suffering Months <5 years Ou5 years Total Concomita nt Diseases Hypertensi Blindness Strokes Etc Total Frekue Presentase (%) Based on Table 1, the distribution of results is as follows: The age of the respondents was mostly between 55-59 years .
9% or 27 peopl.
, on average women were the most dominant to have diabetes with a total of 63 respondents .
5%) and the duration of suffering from diabetes mellitus was mostly <5 years .
7% or 44 peopl.
and the majority of sufferers had comorbidities such as hypertension .
respondents or 37.
9%).
International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025
Table 2 Relationship between Diabetes Distress and Self-Care in Diabetes Diabet Distre Light
Mediu
Heavy Total
Self Care
Not Good
Good
Hasil Uji Pvalu
Statistik
0,000
Mellitus Patients :<0.
Tot Based on table 2 above, the results obtained that respondents who have severe diabetes distress amounted to 5 respondents .
6%), while 29 respondents .
showed mild diabetes distress results with 3 respondents .
5%) having poor self-care and 26 others .
4%) having good self-care.
While 32 respondents .
5%) showed moderate diabetes distress results with 22 respondents .
3%) having poor self-care and 10 other respondents .
2%) having good self-care.
Based on the Spearman Rho statistical test, a significance value of 0.
value <0.
was obtained which can be interpreted that Ha is accepted and Ho is rejected, which means there is a relationship between Diabetes Distress and Self-Care with a correlation coefficient value .
= 0.
which can be concluded that the closeness of the correlation results is strong with a negative direction which can be interpreted that the lighter the diabetes distress, the better the self-care.
DISCUSSION
Diabetes Distress in Diabetes Mellitus Patients at the Bangsal Community Health Center Table 2 shows that the majority of respondents experienced moderate diabetes distress, with 32 respondents .
5%), of whom 25 had suffered for less than 5 years.
Diabetes distress is an emotional state often experienced by people with diabetes mellitus, encompassing feelings of anxiety, frustration, hopelessness, and mental exhaustion resulting from disease Factors contributing to distress include biological, genetic, and psychosocial factors.
Distress can be a trigger for inward aggression.
When individuals with distress realize they are not living up to their ideals, it can lead to despair (Malini et al.
, 2.
Newly diagnosed patients .
ess than 5 year.
may experience high levels of distress due to concerns about managing These individuals may experience anxiety related to the changes they must make in their lives and the impact of diabetes on their quality of life.
Patients who have suffered from diabetes for a long time (>5 year.
often experience more complex distress, diabetes sufferers may have faced emotionally exhausted from the longterm process of managing the disease (Maulidta 2.
Self-Care in Diabetes Mellitus Patients at Bangsal Community Health Center Table 2 shows that of the 66 respondents, 36 .
5%) had good selfcare.
Self-care is a series of actions and behaviors undertaken by individuals with diabetes to effectively manage their condition and control stress or distress.
encompasses various aspects aimed at complications, and improving overall quality of life.
Diabetes self-care involves understanding the disease, managing symptoms, and implementing appropriate strategies in daily life (Uly & Fadli, 2.
Self-care among diabetes mellitus patients at Bangsal Community Health Center was categorized as good by 36 respondents .
5%) of the 66.
International Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Science (IJNMS).
Volume 9.
Issue 3.
December 2025 Nearly half of these respondents had poor self-care.
This is because self-care can be influenced by gender and duration of the These conditions need to be addressed to improve self-care.
Self-care for distress refers to a series of positive actions taken by individuals to manage their physical and mental health.
These actions aim to reduce the anxiety, frustration, and hopelessness often experienced by people with diabetes.
Patients who practice good self-care tend to be more proactive in regularly monitoring their blood sugar levels, so they can understand how food and physical activity affect their condition.
By doing so, they can make more informed decisions about diet and medication, which can ultimately help maintain blood sugar levels within a healthy range (Colberg et al.
, 2.
The Relationship between Diabetes Distress and Self-Care in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Table 2 shows that 29 respondents .
9%) experienced mild distress, 32 .
moderate distress, and 5 respondents .
6%) experienced severe distress.
Thirty .
5%) respondents experienced poor self-care, while 36 .
experienced good self-care.
The Spearman's Rho test yielded a p-value of 000 with an of <0.
05, indicating that H1 is accepted, indicating a relationship between diabetes distress and self-care in patients with diabetes mellitus.
The resulting correlation coefficient .
644, indicating a strong negative This suggests that the milder the diabetes distress, the better the selfcare.
Effective management of diabetes distress can positively contribute to selfcare.
Patients facing mild distress generally demonstrate better self-care compared to those facing severe distress, who exhibit poor or inadequate self-care.
Furthermore, respondents with severe distress are 1.
8 times more likely to neglect proper self-care (Natalansyah.
Wulandari, and Mansyah, 2.
Diabetes distress is thought to negatively impact the health and well-being of those emotions, and motivation to manage care, treatment, and monitoring.
Consequently, it can lead to undesirable outcomes such as uncontrolled blood sugar levels, negative emotions, fatigue, and feelings of overwhelm, which can complicate or hinder the patient's treatment journey.
Individuals, both healthy and ill, have a variety of self-care needs throughout their life cycle to promote or maintain a state of balance.
these include needs for air, water, socialization, and coping with lifethreatening dangers.
For individuals with diabetes mellitus, essential self-care needs to maintain and improve their health include diet management, physical activity, blood sugar monitoring, consistent medication intake, and foot (Ismiyanti and Fadillah 2.
CONCLUSIONS
The conclusion of the study is that there is a relationship between diabetes distress and self-care in diabetes mellitus patients at the Bangsal Community Health Center UPT, which is proven by the results of the Spearman rho statistical test showing a strong relationship with a negative or non-unidirectional direction.
Thus, it can be concluded that the lighter the diabetes distress, the better the self-care in diabetes mellitus patients.
REFERENCES