Severity of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Working Memory, and Self-care

Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory was used to inform hypotheses of associations between perceived severity of illness, working memory and self-care among adults (> 45 years of age) with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM). Working memory capacity was examined as a foundational capability using Orem’s theory. Measures include the modified Diabetes Care Profile section on Health Status Composite (HSC) providing information on severity of illness, the Working Memory Index (WMI) from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-III), the Self-Care Inventory Revised (SCI-R) and hemoglobin A1c. Sixty-seven adults with a mean age of 62.9 years who were primarily Caucasian (92.5%) were involved. There were 30 men and 37 women. Mean body mass index was 35.11 reflecting the majority of participants were obese. Findings indicate that HSC is significantly associated with WMI (r = .54, p < .01) and associated with both indicators of self-care, the SCI-R and HgA1c (r = .23, p < .05, r = -.37, p < .01). Working memory was examined as a mediator between severity of illness and the indicators of self-care (SCI-R and HgA1c) with no evidence for mediation. Findings are discussed in relationship to Orem’s Theory of Self-Care Deficit.