fa بررسی توان خودمراقبتی بیماران مبتلا به دیابت General پژوهشي Research Article Background and Aim: Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases and also the greatest health problem in all countries. The most important strategy to control chronic diseases is self-care behaviors. Thus, the present study was implemented to determine self-care capacity among diabetic patients.   Materials and Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 92 diabetic patients aged 20- 65 years, were selected from the Imam Khomeini hospitals of Ardebil and studied within a month in winter 2009. The necessary data was collected through interview by using the Summary of Diabetes Self-Care Activities Scale (SDSCA) .   Results: Self-care rate among the subjects was weak. Factors such as type of diabetes (P=0.02), residence (P=0.01), age (P=0.01), education level (P=0.01), and instruction history (P=0.02) had a significant relationships with self-care capacity.   Conclusion: Self-care capacity of diabetic individuals was weak, therefore given the crucial role of self care behaviores to control diabetes, nurses are required to identify help-seekers' need while performing nursing interventions and investigating self-care behaviors and design and implement planned training to promote self-care ability among patients. Self care,Diabetes mellitus,Patients 197 204 http://mcj.bums.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-529&slc_lang=fa&sid=1 Nazila Vosoghi Karkazloo نازیلا وثوقی کرکزلو 10031947532846004298 10031947532846004298 No Instructor, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran کارشناس ارشد آموزش پرستاری، مربی دانشکده پرستاری مامایی، دانشگاه علوم پزشکی اردبیل، ایران Ghasem Abootalebi Daryasari قاسم ابوطالبی دریاسری 10031947532846004299 10031947532846004299 Yes Department of Nursing, Islamic Azad University, Ardebil Branch, Iran. Email: gh_abutalebi@iauardabil.ac.ir گروه پرستاری، دانشکده علوم پزشکی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد اردبیل، ایران. تلفن: 09144522411 پست الکترونیک: gh_abutalebi@iauardabil.ac.ir Behnaz Farahani بهناز فراهانی 10031947532846004300 10031947532846004300 No Instructor, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran کارشناسی ارشد آموزش پرستاری کودکان، مربی و عضو هیات علمی دانشگاه آزاد اسلامی،واحد علوم پزشکی تهران، ایران Esmaiel Mohammadnezhad اسمعیل محمدنژاد 10031947532846004301 10031947532846004301 No Young Researchers Club, Islamic Azad University, Tehran Medical Branch, Tehran, Iran کارشناس ارشد آموزش پرستاری، عضو باشگاه پژوهشگران جواندانشگاه آزاد اسلامی واحد علوم پزشکی تهرا، ایران Azam Sajjadi اعظم سجادی 10031947532846004302 10031947532846004302 No Instructor, Faculty of Nursing & Midwifery, Army University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran کارشناس ارشد آموزش پرستاری، مربی دانشکده پرستاری دانشگاه علوم پزشکی ارتش، تهران، ایران