Introduction:

The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among men is high; and these patients need to follow self-care routines. Therefore, knowing the factors which can affect their level of compliance is an important issue for nursing.

Objective:

To identify the relationship between demographic and clinical variables such as anguish and depression, and self-care efficacy in men suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Methods:

This a transversal and correlational study on a sample of 96 men with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were registered in 13 health centers. The instruments used were the Questionnaire of Actions of Care in Diabetes, the Self-Efficacy for Diabetes Scale (SED), the Mexico Center of Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS).

Results:

Self-care was positively correlated to self-efficacy, and negatively correlated to diabetes-related anguish and depression. Variables which accounted for 47.7% of the self-care variance were: self-efficacy (β = .39), alcohol consumption (β = -.29), number of hours sitting or standing (β= -.27), years of being diagnosed (β= -.22), and age (β =.18).

Discussion:

The sample demonstrated a low level of diabetes self-care which included risky behaviors. This attitude could be a result of the patients’ beliefs, lifestyles, and/or type of job.

Conclusions:

The findings provide evidence on the factors which can influence self-care among men with type 2 diabetes. These results can orient nursing professionals while providing patient attention. Further related studies are suggested in order to help improve efficacy in type 2 diabetes self-care.