To Study The Correlation Among Perceived Social Support,Illness Uncertainty And Quality Of Life In Elderly Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective:To investigate the status of perceived social support,illness uncertainty and quality of life in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.To explore the correlation of perceived social support with uncertainty in illness and quality of life.To analyze the influencing factors of perceived social support in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.Methods:From April 2022 to November 2022,convenience sampling was used to select 240 elderly patients with type 2 diabetes from the Department of Geriatrics and Endocrinology of two ClassⅲGrade A hospitals,the Affiliated Hospital of Yan’an University and Yan’an People’s Hospital.The survey tools included the general information questionnaire,Perceived Social Support Scale,Mishra Uncertainty in Illness Scale and Diabetes Specific Quality of Life Scale.Excel software was used to establish a database,and SPSS 26.0 software was used for statistical analysis.The general data were described by frequency（n）and constituent ratio（%）,and the scores of perceived social support,illness uncertainty and quality of life were described by median and quartile M(P₂₅,P₇₅).Mann-Whitney U test and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used to analyze the differences of patients’perceived social support scores in general data.Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of perceived social support.Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between perceived social support and illness uncertainty and quality of life.Results:1.The median and quartile of perceived social support of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus was 49.5（40.2,57.7）,and the scores of family support,friend support and other support were 23.5（19,26）,14（11,16）and 13（9,17）,respectively.The median and quartile of illness uncertainty was 86（77,97）,and the scores of four dimensions were:uncertainty 38（34,44）,complexity 14（11,16）,lack of information 16（14,18）,unpredictability 18（16,19）.The median and quartile of QOL was 59（52,67）,and the scores of four domains were physical domain 25（21,29）,psychological/spiritual domain 21（19,24）,social relationship domain 8（7,10）,and therapeutic domain 5（4,6）.2.Patients’perceived social support scores were different in age,occupation,education level,type of medical insurance,family per capita monthly income,marital status,residence area,living status,duration of diabetes,number of hospitalizations within a year and number of comorbidities,with statistically significant differences（P<0.05）.3.Multiple linear regression analysis showed that marital status,residential area,education level,family per capita monthly income,duration of diabetes and number of hospitalization in a year were the influencing factors of perceived social support in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.4.Correlation analysis showed that perceived social support was negatively correlated with uncertainty in illness（r_s=-0.752,P<0.01）and quality of life（r_s=-0.598,P<0.01）.Conclusions:1.The perceived social support,illness uncertainty and quality of life of elderly patients with type 2 diabetes were at a medium level.2.The influencing factors of perceived social support in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes included marital status,residential area,education level,family per capita monthly income,duration of diabetes and number of hospitalization in a year.3.The perceived social support was negatively correlated with uncertainty in illness and quality of life in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.The higher the perceived social support,the lighter the uncertainty in illness,and the higher the perceived social support,the better the quality of life.