Factors Affecting to Oral Health Care Behaviors among the Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Ban Na Sub-district, Wachirabarami District, Phichit Province

Abstract

     The objectives of this research were to explore: (1) personal factors, leading factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors; (2) oral health care behaviors; and (3) factors affecting oral health care behaviors among the type 2 diabetes mellitus patients in Ban Na sub-district, Wachirabarami district, Phichit province.This survey research by cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 184 participants selected from 811 type 2 diabetic patients in Ban Na Subdistrict, Wachirabarami District, Phichit Province. The research tool was a questionnaire with a content validity value between 0.60 and 1.00 and a reliability score of 0.72. The knowledge-related questions yielded a KR-20 score of 0.71. The data were analyzed to determine frequency distribution, percentage, mean, standard deviation, and stepwise multiple regression statistics.

     The results showed that among the participants: (1) most of them were females with an average age of 58.29 years who completed primary school, and most of the main occupations were unemployed. The average monthly income was mostly less than or equal to 5,000 baht. The average duration of diabetes was 8.81 years. The level of knowledge was high, belief was moderate, access to oral health care services was moderate, and social support was also high. Additionally, (2) oral health care behavior was at a high level; and (3) social support, perceived barriers to oral health care, and age together explained 47.60% of the variance in the oral health care behaviors of type 2 diabetes patients in Ban Na Subdistrict, Wachirabarami District, Phichit Province, with a significance level of 0.05.