Association Between Self-Management Practices and Quality of Life in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Sulaimaniyah City, Iraq

Background: Diabetes is managed by prescribed medication and dietary measures to control hyperglycemia, but self-management is a vital aspect that drastically affects patients’ quality of life (QoL). Objective: To find the association between self-management practices (SMP) and QoL in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 391 patients with T2DM at the Diabetes and Endocrine Centre, Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, from September 2024 to May 2025, using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire that consisted of six parts, including patients’ sociodemographic data, medical data, self-care behaviors, knowledge on diabetes management, QoL, and the presence of common diabetes complications. Results: Regarding glucose management among patients, most patients (61.6%) fairly practised diabetes self-management with a mean score of 68.56±13.62. For QoL, most patients (38.62%) are satisfied with QoL, with a mean score of 60.02±18.71. Subsequently, diabetes-related SMP in glucose control, dietary habits, healthcare use, physical activity, or general self-care has a substantial impact on individuals' QoL (p = 0.001). Additionally, education, the number of comorbidities, and body mass index significantly influenced SMP (p ≤ 0.001), while age, gender, and smoking habit did not (p ≥ 0.05). Finally, both sociodemographic characteristics and clinical data significantly influenced the patient’s QoL (p≤0.001). Conclusions: A direct correlation was observed between patients’ SMP and QoL; however, there is a need for targeted educational programs and tailored approaches to improve diabetes SMP and QoL among the studied population to better control diabetes.