Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that negative perceptions towards diabetes can limit the management and prevention of the disease. The negative perceptions towards diabetes are prevalent in many different settings, especially among rural communities. Few qualitative studies have been performed to understand how the community views diabetes and its associated risk factors. This study aimed to explore general community perceptions of diabetes and its risk factors in rural Indonesia. A total of 68 participants were recruited to 12 focus group discussions (FGDs) comprised of different age groups and sexes. The FGDs were conducted in six villages in rural Purworejo District, Central Java, Indonesia, from 2011 to 2012. All FGDs were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative content analysis was performed to describe and analyse how the rural community perceived diabetes and its risk factors. Diabetes was perceived as a visible and scary sugar disease, and the affected individuals themselves were blamed for getting the disease. Recognised as ‘sugar’ or ‘sweet-pee’ disease with terrifying effects, diabetes was believed to be a disease with no cure. The participants seemed to have an unrealistic optimism with regards to the diabetes risk factors. They believed that diabetes would not affect them, only others, and that having family members with diabetes was necessary for one to develop diabetes. Our findings demonstrate that rural communities have negative perceptions about diabetes and at the same time individuals have unrealistic optimism about their own risk factors. Understanding how such communities perceive diabetes and its risk factors is important for planning prevention strategies. Health messages need to be tailored to health-related behaviours and the local culture’s concepts of diseases and risk factors.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus is one of the fastest growing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and has become a global epidemic
This study aimed to explore general community perceptions of diabetes and its risk factors in rural Indonesia
Our findings demonstrate that rural communities have negative perceptions about diabetes and at the same time individuals have unrealistic optimism about their own risk factors
Summary
Diabetes mellitus is one of the fastest growing chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and has become a global epidemic. In the absence of primary prevention strategies in the country, this number is projected to increase up to 21 million in 2030, with the majority developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) (Wild et al, 2004). Evidence shows that T2DM can be effectively prevented through lifestyle (behavioural) risk factor interventions (Li et al, 2008; Lindström et al, 2006; Wing, 2010). The major lifestyle risk factors related to T2DM include overweight and obesity, tobacco use, physical inactivity, low fruit and vegetable intake, and a diet high in salt and fat (Danaei et al, 2009; Lyssenko et al, 2008). Indonesia faces increasing rates of many of the risk factors involved in NCDs and has seen increasing trends for overweight and obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol from 1980 to 2008 (WHO, 2011). There are a number of studies on the prevalence of NCDs and associated risk factors in Indonesia (Ashraf et al, 2009; Bich et al, 2009; Ramachandran et al, 2012; Shaw et al, 2010; Whiting et al, 2011), but qualitative studies exploring community views on NCD-related illnesses and www.ccsenet.org/gjhs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
