Self-efficacy measured through the italian diabetes management self-efficacy scale (IT-DMSES) in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Background: Obesity and Binge Eating Disorder (BED) are common comorbidities in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), often complicating disease management. Self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to manage diabetes—has been shown to influence self-care behaviours and outcomes. This study aimed to assess diabetes management self-efficacy among adults with obesity and T2DM undergoing multidisciplinary rehabilitation, focusing on the impact of BMI, BED, and gender. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 137 adults (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) with T2DM admitted to a residential rehabilitation center. Self-efficacy was measured using the Italian Diabetes Management Self-Efficacy Scale (IT-DMSES), which evaluates confidence in lifestyle and disease management tasks. Data on BMI, BED status, age, and gender were collected. Results: The mean IT-DMSES score was 116.7 ± 23.7, with females scoring slightly higher than males (120.3 ± 24.8 vs. 112.5 ± 22.0, p = 0.057). Higher BMI was significantly associated with lower self-efficacy, particularly in lifestyle (R = 0.282, p = 0.002) and disease management (R = 0.271, p = 0.002) domains. Several individual items, including those related to dietary control and medication adherence, showed strong negative correlations with BMI. BED independently predicted lower self-efficacy on item 13 (emotional eating) (Estimate = −3.18, p = 0.001), even after adjusting for BMI, age, and gender. No significant interactions between gender and BED were observed for overall self-efficacy or domain scores. Conclusions: Although the exploratory nature of the findings requires confirmation, our results underline the independent association of low self-efficacy with BED.