Abstract 311: Facilitators and Barriers to Self-management of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes in Communities in China, a Qualitative Study

Abstract

Background: Self-management has become a key strategy for caring chronic patients in community. However, little is known about peoples’ self-management experiences and their perceived cues and barriers to engagement in self-management.

Objective: To explore issues patients with type 2 diabetes experienced in their self-management practices,to understand cues and barriers to engagement in self-management. Design: Qualitative study (Semi-structured interviews) Setting: 11 communities in Beijing, China Participants: Type 2 diabetes patients in community, aged >18, no admission in past 90 days.

Methods: 40 critical incident interviews were run during Apr to Sep in 2011 using purposive sampling (20 interviews with patients whose HbA1c well-controlled (<6.5%), while 20 badly-controlled (≥8%)).Themes from interviews were identified using content analysis, which revealed cues and barriers to self-modification for diabetes management.

Results: Implications for self- management practice included objectively understanding on the severity and complications of diabetes. In addition to family support such as supervision in family and fully-use of family resource, desires/duties to be responsible for whole family life as a breadwinner was emerged as a key cue to engagement in self-control. Barriers to engagement in self-management stemmed from financial burden to monitor blood glucose daily, dissatisfaction of HbA1c level after efforts, and malignant life events. It is worth mentioning that starving experience of difficult time with natural disasters in1960s- 1970s in China was identified also as a key barrier to engagement in diet management.

Discussion and Conclusion: There was a strong desire for Chinese patients to comply with Chinese cultural norms; particularly those relating to family value. It was the patients’ power to be involved in self-management that they could devote their healthy life to family duty. Everyone had his/her own history so experiences in past shaped patients’ behaviors now. The findings highlighted the importance of understanding the family value and the personal experiences as facilitators and barriers to self-management of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes living in community.