title: Social support and self-care activities among the elderly patients with diabetes in Kelantan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetes is common among the elderly and can significantly affect their lives including the issues related with social support and diabetic self-care activities.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to examine the social support and self-care activities among the elderly patients with diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey involving 200 patients was conducted from March 2013 to May 2013 in three hospitals in Kelantan. Data were obtained through self-administered questionnaires and clinical characteristics were acquired from the patients' records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The scores for social support (mean = 19.26; SD = 2.63) and self-care activities (mean = 14.83; SD = 4.92) were moderate. Higher social support was associated with high levels of glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS) level, the duration of diabetes and a decrease in body mass index (BMI) (p<0.05). It was observed that the patients with low educational, Hb1Ac and FBS level, with other chronic diseases and who have had diabetes for some time had low self-care activities (p<0.05). There was a significant negative relationship between an increase in social support and decrease in self-care activity (p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthcare providers, family and friends have to strengthen their relationship with the elderly patients with diabetes to provide more social support and promote the compliance with diabetic self-care activities to improve clinical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Siti Khuzaimah Ahmad Sharoni (Corresponding author) Master of Nursing Science (UM) Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Email: sitik123@yahoo.com or sitik123@salam.uitm.edu.my.
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Ahmad Sharoni
authors.affiliation: Emad Adel Shdaifat PhD in Community Health (UKM) College of Nursing, University of Dammam, Saudi Arabia. Email: ealshdaifat@ud.edu.sa.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Shdaifat
authors.affiliation: Hayati Adilin Mohd Abd Majid PhD in Nutritional Sciences, University of Nottingham (U.K) Food Service, Faculty of Hotel & Tourism, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Dungun, 24300, Terengganu, Malaysia Email: hayati2959@tganu.uitm.edu.my.
authors.forename: H A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Mohd Abd Majid
authors.affiliation: Norhafizatul Akma Shohor Master in Nursing (Orthopedics and Traumatology) (UKM) Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Email: norhafizatul@puncakalam.uitm.edu.my.
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Shohor
authors.affiliation: Fazimah Ahmad Bachelor of Nursing (hons) (UiTM) Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Email: imah_man@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.affiliation: Zalina Zakaria Bachelor of Nursing (hons) (UiTM) Nursing Department, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Puncak Alam Campus, 42300 Puncak Alam, Selangor, Malaysia Email: zalina7226@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zakaria
keywords: Social support; diabetes; elderly; self-care activities