Evaluation of self-care in elder men with diabetes mellitus

Objective: To evaluate self-care in elderly men with diabetes mellitus. Materials and Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach in which 96 elderly patients attended in an outpatient clinic of endocrinology of a university hospital attended. Data were collected through the Self-Care with Diabetes questionnaire presented through charts, and discussed in light of related literature. Results: The prevalence of the elderly was 60 and 80 years old, retired, brown, married and with low schooling. Regarding self-care activities with diabetes, the items of drug therapy and foot care showed good adherence, while blood glucose monitoring and physical activity practice achieved lower adherence. Conclusion: Low adherence to self-care activities regarding blood glucose monitoring and physical activity was observed, which might lead to the onset of comorbidities and complications of the disease. Thus, it is evident the need to promote self-care in this population.