HUBUNGAN TINGKAT LITERASI KESEHATAN DENGAN DIABETES SELF-MANAGEMENT PADA PENDERITA DIABETES MELLITUS TIPE 2

Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that requires effective self-management. Health literacy plays an important role in supporting successful self-management, as low health literacy can lead to suboptimal disease management and increase the risk of complications.
Objective: This study aimed to determine the relationship between health literacy levels and diabetes self-management among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: This study employed an observational analytic research design with a cross-sectional approach. The respondents consisted of 120 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Kendalkerep Primary Health Center. The instruments used were the Health Literacy Survey–European Union (HLS-EU) 16-item questionnaire and the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) 16-item.
Results: The results showed that most respondents had an adequate level of health literacy (n=91; 75,8%). In terms of diabetes self-management, the majority of respondents demonstrated good self-management (n=102; 85,0%). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship between health literacy and diabetes self-management with a negative correlation direction.
Conclusion: An increase in health literacy does not always correspond to an improvement in diabetes self-management. Therefore, the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus requires a comprehensive and sustainable approach to improve patients’ quality of life.