Beliefs and practices of diabetic patients in Vhembe district of Limpopo Province

Abstract

BackgroundDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic condition affecting over 18 million people worldwide. It can lead to debilitating complications and premature death if not effectively controlled. South Africa, like any sub-Saharan countries and the world at large, is no exception. The prevalence of diabetes among South African adults has increased by 50% from 2009 to date, and an increase of some 11 million new diabetes diagnoses is expected by the year 2020.PurposeThe purpose of this study was to describe the beliefs and management practices of patients with DM in Vhembe district, Limpopo province.SettingThe study was conducted at Vhembe district clinics.MethodsA probability, purposive sampling was used to sample 100 diabetic patients. Data were collected using a pre-tested questionnaire. Data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 19.0. Descriptive statistics, frequencies, and percentages were used to summarise the data from the study.ResultsThe majority of the respondents had poor management practice of feet care and annual eye examinations. Twenty four (24.0%) of the respondents believed that DM can be cured and 22 (22.0%) did not believe that diet helps in the management of DM.ConclusionThe belief that DM is curable can have a negative effect as patients can quit taking treatment once the disease is under control. This happens irrespective of the national guidelines for the management of DM. Therefore, some strategies should be sought that could enhance the implementation of the guidelines in order to combat the disease.

Nutritional status, glycaemic control and barriers to treatment compliance among patients with type 2 diabetes attending public primary health clinics in Maseru, Lesotho

“…Though this is not the typical gender pattern for T2DM reported in higher income countries, 12 it is consistent with the findings of other studies on T2DM in Lesotho [25][26][27] and neighbouring South Africa. [28][29][30] This may be explained by the fact that, in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions, the most prominent risk factor, which is obesity, is more common in women than in men, 12 as is also evident in the current study. The exact aetiology of this gender disparity is not fully understood, and has been attributed to a more significant impact of the nutrition transition on the physical activity levels of women, cultural views that favour female obesity, gender differences in carbohydrate metabolism that cause a more pronounced increase in triglyceride levels in women, as well as income disparities.…”

The Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Diabetics on Physical Activity at the Marc Sankale Center of Dakar

“…In our series, doctor's advice is the main motivation for practicing physical activity in more than half of our patients with 62.26%. In the study by Shilubane and al [16] 44.0% of Patients had no information on whether diabetic patients could benefit from physical exercise Thus, listening, education and information skills of the doctor are very important at the discovery of diabetes. In our study 51.50% started to practice sport after the discovery of diabetes, and 10.40% at the time of discovery.…”

“…In another study conducted in Waghodia, India, 74% of patients had regular physical activity [15]. In South Africa the study by Shilubane et al [16] shows that nearly 41 (41.0%) of patients exercised, while 15 (15.0%) did not believe in physical exercise. This observation can be explained by the fact that the methodologies applied are different, especially in terms of the population surveyed.…”

Beliefs and practices in diabetes care

“…Additionally, to control the glycaemia, many punctures are required a day, which generates feelings of anguish and temperament changes, that is why usually the user abandons the treatment. However, other persons see insulin as the medication that heals them [45][46][47] .…”

“…Beliefs and practices in diabetes At the same time, some persons recognise that the key to the treatment lies in a healthy diet, but sometimes they do not have the money to consume the food indicated by the nutritionist such as vegetables, fruits, milk, cheese and beef. In addition, pharmacologic treatments, laboratory exams and appointments with different specialists are not provided in a timely manner and this causes additional costs to the patient and their family 44,47,49 . Many patients express that they have abandoned the treatment because health workers confuse them when giving them indications for disease management: the doctors prescribe one thing, the nutritionists others, and they do not know who to believe.…”