Confidence in managing diabetes may relate to patient outcomes, including well-being and hospital use. An analysis published in the Journal of Diabetes Research evaluated how self-management confidence corresponds with well-being and hospital admissions in adults with diabetes in Wales.

The study included 2,941 individuals aged over 45 years with diabetes. Data were analyzed using multilevel regression models to account for clustering within general practice settings, and logistic regression models where required. The analysis examined associations between confidence to self-manage and well-being, as well as emergency and elective hospital admissions in the year following survey completion.

Higher confidence levels corresponded to better wellbeing scores, with a regression coefficient of 12.43 (95% CI 11.19-13.67). Greater confidence was also associated with lower odds of emergency hospital admission (OR=0.79; 95% CI 0.65-0.95). No association was observed for elective admissions (OR=0.95; 95% CI 0.81-1.13). Additional factors, including inability to work and a higher number of chronic conditions, were associated with poorer well-being and increased likelihood of emergency admission.

Higher confidence to self-manage corresponded to improved well-being and fewer emergency admissions in this population. These findings support consideration of self-management confidence in diabetes care strategies.