Buddhist values are associated with better diabetes control in Thai patients.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the associations of Buddhist values with medication and dietary self-care, healthcare use, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level among Thai patients with a confirmed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

METHOD

A total of 173 patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus were surveyed at two public hospitals in Bangkok. While waiting for doctors' appointments, the patients completed a questionnaire measuring Buddhist values and dietary and medication self-care activities. Doctor visits and HbA1c were taken from patient medical records.

RESULTS

Higher scores for Buddhist values were significantly correlated with better medication self-care (r = .25, p = .001), better dietary self-care (r = .21, p = .007), and more doctor visits in the previous 12 months (r - .34, p = .0001). In a hierarchical regression analysis, stronger Buddhist values were significantly associated with a lower HbA1c, even after controlling for socio-demographic and dietary self-care (R2 change = .03, F(1, 161) = 6.00, p = .015).

CONCLUSIONS

Buddhist values may promote diabetes self-care among Thai patients. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship of Buddhist values to diabetes-specific health behaviors and neuroendocrine outcomes.