To investigate the prevalence and associated factors (such as diabetes prevalence and monitoring and other factors) of behaviors of monitoring (self-observation and screening tests) to prevent chronic diabetic complications among type 2 diabetes patients receiving community-based management.

The convenience sampling was used to select 785 type 2 diabetes patients from Chengdu's central urban areas who received community-based type 2 diabetic management from May to November 2019. They were invited to attend a survey for understanding their socio-demographic information and monitoring behaviors to prevent chronic diabetic complications using a questionnaire developed by us.

Only 103 (13.1%) of the patients did not suffer from any chronic complications, and 435 (55.4%) suffered from both metabolic syndrome and chronic diabetic complications. The average total score for self-observation of chronic diabetic complications in the participants was (2.58±0.86) , but the average total score of regularly self-observation of pulsations of the dorsalis pedis artery was only (1.47±0.84) . The average total score of performing screening tests for chronic diabetic complications was (2.77±0.57) . The average score of diabetic retinopathy screening, peripheral neuropathy screening, and lower extremity vascular disease screening was (1.88±0.99) , (1.46±0.84) , and (1.47±0.84) , respectively. About 78.2% (614/785) of patients underwent screening tests following the doctors' advices. But only 9.9% (78/785) took the initiative to conduct regular tests. About 17.7% (139/785) and 49.0% (385/785) of the patients could not correctly manage the abnormal results of self-observation and the screening test results. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that the duration of diabetes since diagnosis, prevalence of chronic diabetic complications, and management of self-observed abnormalities were associated with the score of self-observation of chronic diabetic complications (P<0.05) . The duration of diabetes since diagnosis, the most recently measured HbA_1c value, prevalence of chronic diabetic complications, causes and results management of screening tests for chronic diabetic complications were associated with average total score of performing screening tests for chronic diabetic complications (P<0.05) .

The prevalence of behaviors of monitoring to prevent chronic diabetic complications in community-dwelling type 2 diabetes patients was unsatisfactory, which was affected by the duration of diabetes since diagnosis, prevalence of chronic diabetic complications, the most recently measured HbA_1c value, causes and results management of screening tests for chronic diabetic complications. In view of this, in the delivery of community-based management services, attentions should be paid to improving patients' initiative to actively and regularly observe their conditions and undergo relevant screening tests, thereby improving early diagnosis and treatment rates of chronic type 2 diabetic complications.