Determining the Obstacles of Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Abstract

Objective: This study was carried out to identify the obstacles faced by Type 2 diabetes patients.Methods: The study was conducted in the descriptive type and included 112 patients hospitalized in the internal medicine clinics of the Ondokuz Mayıs University Health Practices and Research Hospital. The descriptive form and the "Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire in Type-2 Diabetes Patients" were used in the study. As the average score obtained in the subscales of the questionnaire rises, the level of obstacles related to that area felt by patients increases.Results: Of the patients who participated in the study, 60.7% were women, 53.6% were housewives, 48.2% were primary school graduates, 27.7% lived in districts and 92% reported the presence of at least one chronic disease other than diabetes. It was identified that 54.5% of the patients had been diagnosed with diabetes for 11 years and longer, 50.9% had received diabetes education, 72.3% had relatives with diabetes, 64.3% used oral antidiabetics and 72.3% received insulin treatment. Among the patients, 35.7% stated that the hardest aspect of diabetes was "following a diabetic diet". Among the subscales of the Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire, the lowest average score was -0.34 in the obstacles in "receiving advice and support" subscale, and the highest average score was 0.34 in the "obstacles in coping with diabetes" subscaleConclusion: The fact that 7 of the 8 subscales of the diabetes obstacles questionnaire had negative averages in the study indicates that the patients’ perception of obstacles in these areas was low. The only subscale with a positive average was the "barriers in coping with diabetes" subscale and the patients’ perception of obstacles related to this area was higher. Based on the findings, it is recommended to increase the accessibility of diabetes education and the rate of receiving diabetes education, and that educated patients be re-evaluated periodically by the diabetes education nurse.