Experiences and challenges of adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus presenting at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

ObjectiveThe study explored the experiences and challenges of adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) presenting at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka.Research designA qualitative descriptive study was conducted. The research relied on purposive sampling to select 28 participants for in-depth interviews. Participants were interviewed during clinical visits at UTH.ResultsViews from participants showed that some adults living with T2DM experienced physical and mental illnesses. Participants’ views reflected that their livelihood with T2DM was influenced by family support, poor or non-adherence to treatment guidelines and access to information, education and communication materials. The most important challenges reported were psychosocial and financial.ConclusionThe study concluded that some adults living with T2DM experience a lot of physical sicknesses and their challenges, especially of the psychosocial nature may require professional attention. However, particular attention should be paid to the patient’s self-care and psychosocial therapy. Self-care protocols should be tailored to complement the different types of patients with diabetes and improve their quality of life. Cite Now

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“…The presence of autonomic neuropathy, particularly the cardiac manifestation, has been correlated with an elevated mortality rate [ 61 ]. In our study, 69.6% of the male patients with DPN reported erectile dysfunction versus 50% in the study by Mwila et al in Zambia [ 48 ]. A Nigerian study reported known inadequacies in the treatment of DPN in Africa [ 61 ].…”

“…The low socio-economic level of patients with diabetes has been widely reported in the African medical literature [ 47 , 48 ]. Most patients in our study had a low socio-economic status.…”

“…In Ethiopia, the average monthly income of patients with diabetes was 58.6 USD [ 4 ]. In Zambia, individuals with type 2 diabetes reported psychosocial difficulties, a lack of information, and difficulty meeting basic needs such as food and transportation [ 48 ].…”

“…The low level of education could negatively influence the quality of life of such patients. A good level of education would promote compliance with the treatment and result in increased earnings [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Obstáculos na assistência de enfermagem à pessoa com diabetes na hospitalização

“…As diretrizes de tratamento para pessoas com diabetes incluem ações complexas e específicas e, as pessoas que vivem com a doença têm dificuldades em autogerenciar a sua condição de saúde para alcançar o controle da glicemia (SOCIEDADE BRASILEIRA DE DIABETES, 2020; BLASCO-BLASCO; PULG-GARCIA; PIAY et al, 2020). Estudo descreve que os pacientes com diabetes mellitus 2 consideram difícil a realização do tratamento, principalmente em relação a alimentação, prática de exercícios físicos e uso de medicação (MWILA;BWEMBYA;JACOBS, 2019).…”