Illness perceptions among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study

Aims This study aimed to investigate illness perceptions and their predictors among Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes. Methods A descriptive, correlational, and exploratory design was used. The Chinese version of the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire was modified and used to collect data between September 2016 and February 2017. Results On average, patients recognized fewer than five of the 14 common symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Of the six causal factors, "dietary behaviours" had the highest mean score, while "psychological factors" had the lowest score. Most patients lacked understanding of type 2 diabetes mellitus. They perceived it as a chronic and stable illness, without negative affective response, and controllable by themselves and through treatment. Gender, age, marital status, educational level, family income, employment status, diabetes duration, diabetes-related complications, comorbid conditions, number of hospital admissions, and the level of haemoglobin A1c were predictors of illness perceptions. Conclusions The findings of the present study suggest that the illness perceptions of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes should be improved. This evidence may enrich the theoretical understanding of illness perceptions and be used to develop interventions for enhancing illness perceptions in such patients.