Mediating role of perceived social support between frailty and self-perceived burden in older patients with diabetes

Abstract Objective To explore the mediating effects of perceived social support between frailty and self-perceived burden in older patients with diabetes, then provide theoretical basis for reducing the perceived burden of senile diabetic patients. Methods A total of 169 older diabetic patients who were hospitalized in the endocrinology department of a third-class hospital in Wuxi fromMay 2020 to July 2022 were investigated by convenience sampling method. Patients were investigated by the general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Tilburg Frailty Inventory (TFI), the Self-Feeling Burden Scale (SPBS), the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS).SPSS 22.0 was exployed for Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis, and we selected the Model 4 of SPSS PROCESS for mediating effect analysis. Results The SPBS of senile diabetes mellitus was positively correlated with TFI (P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with PSSS (P < 0.01).The results of Bootstrap test showed that the mediating effect of PSSS on the relationship between TFI and SPBS in older diabetic patients was 0.296(95%CI: 0.007, 0.066), and the mesomeric effect accounted for 17.3% of the total effect. Conclusion The debilitation of older patients with diabetes can reduce the burden of self-perception by perceived social support. Based on the improving perceived support, nurses should actively carry out comprehensive interventions,in order toreducing the self-perceived burden of older patients with diabetes.