The Mediation Effects of Self‐Efficacy on the Relationship Between Diabetes‐Related Content Exposure and Self‐Management Among Older Diabetics: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Aims To map the diabetes‐related content exposure of older adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus, and explore the association between the exposure and self‐management and the mediation effects of self‐efficacy. Design Cross‐sectional study. Methods This study was conducted among 257 eligible older adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus from five communities in China. Diabetes self‐management and self‐efficacy were measured with standardised assessment tools. The variable of diabetes‐related content exposure was generated by the collection of all content exposure and the transformation of Q‐methodology. Descriptive statistics and the relative mediation effect model were used to do the analyses. Results Among the participants, 61.1% had hyperbeneficial content exposure, 13.6% had hypobeneficial content exposure, 24.9% had irrelevant content exposure, and 0.4% had harmful content exposure. Compared with those with irrelevant content exposure, older adults with hyperbeneficial content exposure exhibited higher self‐management scores ( β = 0.448, 95% CI = 0.174–0.721); in the mediation model, the relative direct effect of hyperbeneficial content exposure on self‐management remained significant ( β = 0.377, 95% CI = 0.104–0.650), and self‐efficacy significantly mediated this relationship ( β = 0.071, 95% CI = 0.011–0.154). The relative mediation effect accounted for 15.8% of the relative total effect. Conversely, no significant effect of hypobeneficial content exposure on self‐management was observed. Conclusion Social media can empower the self‐management of older adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus exposed to hyperbeneficial contents, with self‐efficacy serving as a significant mediator. In contrast, exposure to hypobeneficial contents on social media did not lead to significant improvement in the self‐management. This suggests that not all diabetes‐related contents on social media are equally beneficial, and the relevance of information matters. Implications Healthcare providers should consider leveraging social media platforms in conjunction with traditional education programmes to enhance the self‐management of older adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Older adults with Type 2 diabetes mellitus may search positively diabetes‐related hyperbeneficial contents on social media. Reporting Method The report of this study adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement guidelines. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.