Impact of Gender on Patient Experiences of Self-Management in Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study

IF 2 3区医学 Q2 MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL

Patient preference and adherence Pub Date : 2024-09-13 DOI:10.2147/ppa.s466931

Anna Ramírez-Morros, Anna Berenguera, Laura Millaruelo, Pilar Buil-Cosiales, Carmen Gomez Garcia, Xavier Cos, Luis Ávila Lachica, Sara Artola, Jose Manuel Millaruelo, Didac Mauricio, Josep Franch-Nadal

{"title":"Impact of Gender on Patient Experiences of Self-Management in Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Study","authors":"Anna Ramírez-Morros, Anna Berenguera, Laura Millaruelo, Pilar Buil-Cosiales, Carmen Gomez Garcia, Xavier Cos, Luis Ávila Lachica, Sara Artola, Jose Manuel Millaruelo, Didac Mauricio, Josep Franch-Nadal","doi":"10.2147/ppa.s466931","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Purpose: This study aims to identify gender disparities in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to self-management and control of Type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) among primary care patients. The research was conducted across multiple Spanish cities. Patients and Methods: The study involved 8 Primary Care Centres located in four distinct regions of Spain: East (Barcelona), Centre (Madrid), North (Pamplona and Zumaia) and South (Vélez-Málaga and Málaga). A total of 111 individuals diagnosed with T2DM, comprising 52 women and 59 men, participated in 12 group discussions at these primary healthcare centers from February to June 2015. Participation was voluntary, and all participants provided informed consent by signing the consent form. A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study with a maximum variation sample was done. Participant profiles were defined based on gender, age, place of residence, type of treatment, years living with T2DM and the presence or absence of a cardiovascular event. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Participants were aware that diabetes is a chronic condition, with varied levels of concern regarding the diagnosis. Participants’ locus of control influenced their perception of the disease’s cause, with women attributing it to stress and emotional situations, while men linked it to risky behaviors. Self-management strategies were shaped by beliefs about diabetes, with both genders facing challenges in implementing recommended practices. Gender differences were also evident in caregiving roles, with men receiving more family support for diet adherence, while women prioritized family needs over their self-care. Participants expressed satisfaction with professional-patient interactions but highlighted the need for more accessible information and specialist care, suggesting support groups for women and clear health guidelines for men. Conclusion: Gender differences significantly influence how patients perceive and manage type 2 diabetes, with women experiencing greater concern and care burden compared to men. Effective diabetes management requires tailored support that addresses these gender-specific challenges. Enhancing healthcare services with clear guidelines and support groups can improve self-management outcomes in both men and women. Keywords: gender, type 2 diabetes mellitus, self-care, personal experience ","PeriodicalId":19972,"journal":{"name":"Patient preference and adherence","volume":"83 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Patient preference and adherence","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.2147/ppa.s466931","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to identify gender disparities in knowledge, attitudes and behaviors related to self-management and control of Type 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) among primary care patients. The research was conducted across multiple Spanish cities.
Patients and Methods: The study involved 8 Primary Care Centres located in four distinct regions of Spain: East (Barcelona), Centre (Madrid), North (Pamplona and Zumaia) and South (Vélez-Málaga and Málaga). A total of 111 individuals diagnosed with T2DM, comprising 52 women and 59 men, participated in 12 group discussions at these primary healthcare centers from February to June 2015. Participation was voluntary, and all participants provided informed consent by signing the consent form. A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study with a maximum variation sample was done. Participant profiles were defined based on gender, age, place of residence, type of treatment, years living with T2DM and the presence or absence of a cardiovascular event. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.
Results: Participants were aware that diabetes is a chronic condition, with varied levels of concern regarding the diagnosis. Participants’ locus of control influenced their perception of the disease’s cause, with women attributing it to stress and emotional situations, while men linked it to risky behaviors. Self-management strategies were shaped by beliefs about diabetes, with both genders facing challenges in implementing recommended practices. Gender differences were also evident in caregiving roles, with men receiving more family support for diet adherence, while women prioritized family needs over their self-care. Participants expressed satisfaction with professional-patient interactions but highlighted the need for more accessible information and specialist care, suggesting support groups for women and clear health guidelines for men.
Conclusion: Gender differences significantly influence how patients perceive and manage type 2 diabetes, with women experiencing greater concern and care burden compared to men. Effective diabetes management requires tailored support that addresses these gender-specific challenges. Enhancing healthcare services with clear guidelines and support groups can improve self-management outcomes in both men and women.

Keywords: gender, type 2 diabetes mellitus, self-care, personal experience

查看原文本刊更多论文

性别对 2 型糖尿病患者自我管理体验的影响：定性研究

目的：本研究旨在确定初级保健患者在自我管理和控制 2 型糖尿病（T2DM）的相关知识、态度和行为方面的性别差异。研究在西班牙多个城市进行：研究涉及西班牙四个不同地区的 8 个初级保健中心：东部（巴塞罗那）、中部（马德里）、北部（潘普洛纳和祖马亚）和南部（贝莱斯-马拉加和马拉加）。2015年2月至6月期间，共有111名被诊断患有T2DM的患者参加了在这些初级医疗保健中心举行的12次小组讨论，其中包括52名女性和59名男性。所有参与者均自愿参加，并在知情同意书上签字。研究采用定性诠释现象学研究方法，样本变化最大。根据性别、年龄、居住地、治疗类型、患有 T2DM 的年数以及是否发生过心血管事件对参与者进行了界定。数据分析采用主题分析法：结果：参与者意识到糖尿病是一种慢性疾病，但对诊断的关注程度各不相同。参与者的控制感影响了他们对病因的认识，女性将其归因于压力和情绪状况，而男性则将其与危险行为联系在一起。自我管理策略受糖尿病信念的影响，两性在实施推荐做法时都面临挑战。性别差异在护理角色方面也很明显，男性在坚持饮食方面得到了更多的家庭支持，而女性则将家庭需求置于自我护理之上。参与者对专业人员与患者之间的互动表示满意，但强调需要更多的信息和专家护理，建议为女性设立支持小组，为男性制定明确的健康指南：结论：性别差异在很大程度上影响着患者对 2 型糖尿病的认识和管理，与男性相比，女性的担忧和护理负担更大。有效的糖尿病管理需要有针对性的支持，以应对这些因性别而异的挑战。通过明确的指南和支持小组来加强医疗保健服务，可以改善男性和女性的自我管理结果。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Patient preference and adherence MEDICINE, GENERAL & INTERNAL-

CiteScore

3.60

自引率

4.50%

发文量

354

审稿时长

6-12 weeks

期刊介绍： Patient Preference and Adherence is an international, peer reviewed, open access journal that focuses on the growing importance of patient preference and adherence throughout the therapeutic continuum. The journal is characterized by the rapid reporting of reviews, original research, modeling and clinical studies across all therapeutic areas. Patient satisfaction, acceptability, quality of life, compliance, persistence and their role in developing new therapeutic modalities and compounds to optimize clinical outcomes for existing disease states are major areas of interest for the journal. As of 1st April 2019, Patient Preference and Adherence will no longer consider meta-analyses for publication.