Introduction:

The main problem presented by patients with DM2 is the lack of adherence to medical treatments (WHO, 2004) since it is complex and requires changes in lifestyle and health habits. Objective: analyze the relationship between self-efficacy, social support, and threat perception to treatment adherence.

Method:

The design was transectional correlational with a non-probabilistic convenience sampling of 166 participants with DM2 who attended for medical attention at the Ministry of Health and ISSSTE of Michoacán. Instruments were administered to evaluate Self-efficacy to Treatment in DM2, Social Support in DM2, the subscales of severity and perceived susceptibility of the ECS-DM2 / PG and the adherence scale to the treatment of DM2.

Results:

By dividing the sample by levels of threat perception, a clear mediating role of perception of susceptibility and severity can be observed in the rest of the variables under study. Maintaining treatment adherence and glycosylated hemoglobin as dependent variables, multiple linear regression analyzes were performed using the stepwise method to identify the joint effect of the independent variables. The highest levels of prediction, both for treatment adherence and for glycosylated hemoglobin levels, are in the group with medium levels of susceptibility, where 46 % of the variance of treatment adherence is explained based on the sole independent variable of perceived social support. For glycosylated hemoglobin levels, the prediction of 33 % of the variance in the middle group is given by the factors of hygiene, self-care, and diet as components of treatment adherence.

Discussion or Conclusion:

According to the results obtained, it seems that the relationship between the perceived threat and adherence is not linear. It appears to be observed that perceived threat may produce a tendency to abandon by not following medical indications, when the patient perceives a very high level of susceptibility and severity, as well as when the levels are very low. It is also important to consider the perception of social support, the level of social support and self-efficacy to increase adherence to treatment in patients with T2DM.

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