Sociodemographic factors and health conditions associated with the resilience of people with chronic diseases: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Objective: to investigate the association between resilience and sociodemographic variables and the health of people with chronic kidney disease and / or type 2 diabetes mellitus. Method: a cross-sectional observational study performed with 603 people with chronic kidney disease and / or type 2 diabetes mellitus. A tool to collect socio-demographic and health data and the Resilience Scale developed by Connor and Davidson were applied. A descriptive and multivariate analysis was performed. Results: the study participants had on average 61 years old (SD= 13.2), with a stable union (52.24%), religion (96.7%), retired (49.09%), with primary education (65%) and income up to three minimum wages. Participants with kidney disease showed less resilience than people with diabetes. Conclusion: the type of chronic illness, disease duration, body mass index and religious beliefs influenced the resilience of the study participants.

Resilience and self-care of elderly people with diabetes mellitus

“…It was observed that the majority of the elderly presented moderate levels of resilience, which could be related to the typical characteristics of this population, the time of living with the disease, and the acceptance of the difficulties resulting from diabetes mellitus. Overcoming obstacles can provide the necessary support to deal with the adversities inherent to this morbidity, favoring the adaptation to changes to maintain glycemic stability (2,6) .…”

“…Studies indicate that when elderly people face hostile situations, they tend to prioritize pleasurable experiences and minimize conflicts, because the burden of life experience becomes a determining factor for adjustment and overcoming of difficult circumstances experienced by this population (4,6) .…”

“…The process of acceptance of a chronic disease such as diabetes mellitus represents a great challenge for the affected person, especially for young people, because the symptoms and complications interfere significantly in their health and daily routine (6) . On the other hand, for older people, this process takes place more spontaneously, resulting mainly from the resilience acquired throughout time due to the need to adapt to usual limitations imposed by aging (7) .…”

“…In this sense, because of the innumerable changes implied in the new routine of the person when diabetes mellitus is found out, resilient attitudes become fundamental, to cope with adversity and to adapt to the limitations imposed by the disease (5)(6) . A study carried out with users who had diabetes mellitus from eight health centers in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, observed that when the individuals feel resilient before their health condition, they present a greater motivation to care for their wellbeing, and this has positive impacts on their quality of life and disease control (7) .…”

The body marked by the arteriovenous fistula: a phenomenological point of view

“…Therefore, it features a false adaptation to the experienced situation concealing fear, resulting or aggravating the suffering. We must promote resilience, which, unlike conformity, indicates the positive adaptation and active acceptance of the disease condition, enabling the development of inner coping capabilities (23)(24) .…”