Introduction:Hypoglycemia is an acute complication of diabetes and is considered an endocrine emergency. It can cause permanent neurological damage and even death. A functional family may be able to prevent this type of complications in diabetic patients.Objective: Determine the association between family functionality with hypoglycemia in people with type 2 diabetes in primary care.
Materials and methods:Cross-sectional study in 160 patients with type 2 diabetes, aged 30 to 90 years, who presented hypoglycemia and required hospital attention during October 2017 to August 2018. Family functionality and family life cycle was determined by the family APGAR (adaptation, association, growth, affection, resolution). Descriptive statistics and Chi square test were applied using the SPSS v.21 program.
Results:The frequency of hypoglycemia in the study population was 2.04%; 85% of patients presented family dysfunction, an association was observed between family functionality and hypoglycemia (Chi-square 14.809, p=0.022).
Conclusion:There is an association between family functionality and hypoglycemia in diabetic patients. The care of diabetic patients should include their families and support networks, in order to reduce acute complications such as hypoglycemia.