AI Insight
This study analyzed self-management behaviors in 402 gout patients and identified four distinct patient categories using K-means cluster analysis: high self-management with adequate knowledge (28.6%), low self-management with knowledge deficiency (15.4%), moderate self-management with insufficient transformation (30.8%), and good self-management despite knowledge deficiency (25.1%). The categories showed significant differences in age, residence, frequency of acute flares, serum uric acid levels, and disease knowledge, demonstrating heterogeneity in how patients manage their condition.
Why it matters
These findings suggest that gout patient education and intervention strategies should be tailored to specific patient profiles rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Understanding that some patients manage their condition well despite knowledge gaps, while others have knowledge but poor management, can help healthcare providers design more effective, personalized treatment support programs.
Understand the Science
ObjectiveTo explore the potential categories of self-management behaviors of gout patients, analyze the relationship between each category and the disease knowledge level, and provide a basis for formulating targeted intervention strategies.MethodsA total of 402 patients with gout were selected by convenience sampling. The general information questionnaire, the gout patients’ self-management assessment scale, and the knowledge level measurement questionnaire were used in this study. K-means cluster analysis was used to identify the potential categories of self-management behavior.ResultsThe score of self-management behavior of gout patients was (142.30 ± 29.53), which could be divided into four categories: high self-management-knowledge adequacy type (28.6%), low self-management-knowledge deficiency type (15.4%), moderate self-management-insufficient transformation type (30.8%), and good self-management-knowledge deficiency type (25.1%). There were statistically significant differences in age, residence, number of acute flares in the past year, serum uric acid (SUA) level and disease knowledge level among different categories (p < 0.05).ConclusionThere is heterogeneity in self-management behavior of gout patients, and there are differences in disease knowledge level among different types of patients. Medical staff should implement hierarchical and precise intervention based on category characteristics.