Spiritual intelligence may be associated with self-management of type 1 diabetes

1. In this cross-sectional study, spiritual intelligence was a significant predictor of self-management in patients with type 1 diabetes.

2. Furthermore, spiritual intelligence could predict 7.2% of the variations in self-management of young adult patients with type 1 diabetes.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic health condition that places a significant burden on affected individuals. Self-management of the disease is important in reducing the risk of health complications. Several factors may be associated with T1D self-management, including knowledge about the disease, age, and more. Spirituality may play a role in self-management in other conditions and positively affect disease outcomes. However, the impact of spirituality and spiritual intelligence on self-management of T1D remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between spiritual intelligence and self-management of T1D.

This cross-sectional study included 220 adult patients with T1D who were referred to an outpatient diabetes clinic in Iran in 2022. Patients were included if they were aged 18 to 35, had a diagnosis of T1D, and were not suffering from any mental health disorders. Participants were excluded if they were taking psychiatric or narcotic drugs or were unable to read or write. Participants completed a 24-item questionnaire regarding critical thinking, personal meaning, transcendental consciousness, and consciousness development to evaluate spiritual intelligence. The Self-Report Measure of Self-Management of Type 1 Diabetes for Adolescents (SMOD-A) was used to assess self-management of T1D. The primary outcome was the association between the scores on the questionnaires regarding spiritual intelligence and T1D management.

The results demonstrated that spiritual intelligence was a significant predictor of T1D self-management after adjusting for confounding factors, including age, education level, disease duration, and more. The relationship between spiritual intelligence and diabetes management was estimated to be 0.27, and it was found that spiritual intelligence predicted 7.2% of the variability in self-management among patients with T1D. However, the study was limited by the self-reported nature of T1D self-management, which may have introduced bias. Nonetheless, the present study suggested that spiritual intelligence may play an important role in the self-management of T1D.

Click to read the study in BMC Endocrine Disorders

Image: PD

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