Leading contributer to unrealistic optimism

Unfavorable health behavior and risk factors are associated with UO. However, UO was not significantly associated with patient self-management. Furthermore, a higher blood pressure and a higher body mass index were associated with a higher likelihood of UO regarding heart attack risk. Smokers and males were more likely to show UO than nonsmokers and females. The studied sample included n = 633 individuals with type 2 diabetes (mean age 70.7вЂ‰years, 45% women). All models were adjusted for socio-demographic and disease-related variables. We estimated binary logistic and linear regression models to analyze which characteristics were associated with UO and to test the association between UO and participants' self-management behaviors (ie, regular self-monitoring of body weight, blood sugar, and blood pressure, regular foot care, keeping a diabetes diary, and having a diet plan), and their sum score, respectively. UO was estimated by comparing participants' subjective comparative risk for having a heart attack within the next 5-years (ie, вЂњhigher than others,вЂќ вЂњaverage,вЂќ вЂњlower than othersвЂќ), with their objective comparative 10-year cardiovascular disease risk based on the Framingham equations. We used data from individuals with type 2 diabetes participating in the German KORA (Cooperative Health Research in the Region of Augsburg) GEFU 4 (self-administered health questionnaire 2016) study.

The present study tested the hypothesis that individuals with type 2 diabetes who underestimate their comparative heart attack risk, have a lower adherence regarding recommended self-management. Unrealistic comparative optimism (UO), as the erroneous judgement of personal risks to be lower than the risks of others, could help explain differences in diabetes self-management.

Leading contributer to unrealistic optimism