Illness beliefs predict mortality in patients with diabetic foot ulcers

Vedhara, Kavita; Dawe, Karen; Miles, Jeremy N.V.; Wetherell, Mark A.; Cullum, Nicky; Dayan, Colin; Drake, Nicola; Price, Patricia; Tarlton, John; Weinman, John; Day, Andrew; Campbell, Rona; Reps, Jenna M.; Soria, Daniele

Abstract

Abstract
Background: Patients’ illness beliefs have been associated with glycaemic control in diabetes and survival in other conditions.
Objective: We examined whether illness beliefs independently predicted survival in patients with diabetes and foot ulceration.
Methods: Patients (n=169) were recruited between 2002 and 2007. Data on illness beliefs were collected at baseline. Data on survival were extracted on 1st November 2011. Number of days survived reflected the number of days from date of recruitment to 1st November 2011.
Results: Cox regressions examined the predictors of time to death and identified ischemia and identity beliefs (beliefs regarding symptoms associated with foot ulceration) as significant predictors of time to death. Conclusions: Our data indicate that illness beliefs have a significant independent effect on survival in patients with diabetes and foot ulceration. These findings suggest that illness beliefs could improve our understanding of mortality risk in this patient group and could also be the basis for future therapeutic interventions to improve survival.

Citation

Vedhara, K., Dawe, K., Miles, J. N., Wetherell, M. A., Cullum, N., Dayan, C., Drake, N., Price, P., Tarlton, J., Weinman, J., Day, A., Campbell, R., Reps, J. M., & Soria, D. (2016). Illness beliefs predict mortality in patients with diabetic foot ulcers. PLoS ONE, 11(4), Article e0153315. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153315

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 28, 2016
• Publication Date: Apr 20, 2016
• Deposit Date: Apr 19, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 25, 2016
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Electronic ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 11
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: e0153315
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0153315
• Keywords: illness beliefs; mortality; diabetes; diabetic foot ulcers; self-regulatory model
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/784557
• Publisher URL: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0153315