The Relationship between Sense of Coherence, Resourcefulness and Functional Health Status of Geriatric Patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

Abstract

Background: T2DM is a public health problem that is widespread, serious, and growing among elderly people with a major impact on their health and well-being. Sense of coherence (SOC) and resourcefulness are important resources that may empower the person and give a greater capacity to manage different life challenges including the burden of such chronic disease in a health-promoting manner. Aim: Determine the relationship between sense of coherence, resourcefulness and functional health status of geriatric patients with diabetes mellitus. Setting: Five outpatient clinics at The Main University Hospital in Alexandria, namely geriatric medicine clinic, general medical clinic, diabetes clinic, cardiovascular clinic and nephrology clinic. Alexandria, Egypt. Subjects: 120 geriatric patients who are 60 years old and above, diagnosed with T2DM and have no or mild cognitive impairment. Tools: Five tools were used to collect data, short portable mental status questionnaire, socio-demographic and clinical data of geriatric patients with diabetes mellitus structured interview schedule, sense of coherence scale, resourcefulness scale and the Dartmouth Primary Care Cooperative Information Project/World Organization of National Colleges, Academies, and Academic Associations of General Practice/Family Physicians (COOP/WONCA) charts. Results: The result revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between SOC, overall resourcefulness and all the functional health status scores of the study older adults as higher levels of SOC and resourcefulness were associated with better functional health status among the study participants. Conclusion: a statistically significant relationship between SOC, overall resourcefulness and all the functional health status scores of the study older adults as higher levels of SOC and resourcefulness were associated with better functional health status among the study participants. Recommendations: Develop an in-service training programs for nurses and health care providers (HCPs) at different health care settings on how to assess SOC and resourcefulness skills and orienting them with the role of such concepts on health and well being of older adults and different ways for promoting them.