J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2026 Aug 12. doi: 10.1097/JCN.0000000000001380. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Poor diabetes self-management is prevalent in individuals with diabetes and can result in macro- and micro-cardiovascular diabetes complications. Diabetes knowledge may impact diabetes self-management directly and indirectly via the impact on diabetes self-efficacy. However, these relationships have rarely been examined among individuals with diabetes, controlling for potential psychosocial, demographic, and clinical covariates.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether diabetes knowledge was associated with diabetes self-management directly and indirectly via diabetes self-efficacy, controlling for depressive symptoms, diabetes distress, self-esteem, self-compassion, resilience, social support, body mass index, and age.
METHODS: Baseline data from 2 studies were used in this cross-sectional, correlational study. Data on all study and demographic variables were collected from 228 adults with diabetes (mean age: 56.5 years) in 2023 and 2025. PROCESS Macro for the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (Model 4; 5000 bootstraps; 95% confidence intervals [CIs]) was used to examine the suggested relationships.
RESULTS: The mean diabetes knowledge score was 10.7 out of 13 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.9); the mean diabetes self-efficacy score was 28.0 (SD = 6.1); and the mean diabetes self-management score was 18.0 (SD = 6.3). Stronger diabetes knowledge showed a direct relationship with better diabetes self-management (effect(B) = 0.779, 95% bootstrap CI = 0.401, 1.157) and an indirect relationship through higher levels of diabetes self-efficacy (effect(B) = 0.193, 95% bootstrap CI = 0.078, 0.333).
CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes knowledge was associated with diabetes self-management directly and indirectly via diabetes self-efficacy. Clinicians and researchers may modify diabetes knowledge to improve diabetes self-efficacy, and, in turn, diabetes self-management.
PMID:42585591 | DOI:10.1097/JCN.0000000000001380
