Illness-Perception Among Diabetes Mellitus Patients in Selected Hospitals, Benin-City, Edo State, Nigeria

The study determined illness-perception among diabetes mellitus patients in selected hospitals, Benin-city, Edo State, Nigeria. The study specifically assessed the level of illness-perception among people living with diabetes mellitus in Benin-City. This study adopted descriptive cross-sectional method. The sample for the study was obtained from the total population of Nine hundred and sixty-eight (968), using Slovin’s Formula. The instrument used for data collection was a self-designed questionnaire which consisted of two sections. Internal consistency method was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. The reliability of the instrument was calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha which yielded coefficient value 0f 0.813. Data collected from respondents through questionnaire were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results showed that the respondents demonstrated high level of illness- perception with mean scores of; perceived susceptibility 4.05± .939, perceived severity 3.76± 1.112, perceived threat 3.89± 1.107 and perceived benefit 3.60± 1.077. Result also showed that 66.7% of participants had high level of ill-perception. The study concluded that respondents have high illness-perception which is likely to inform them about specific diabetes self-care management actions. It was recommended that there was need for nurses to continuously educate patients on characteristics of the diabetic disease that seems severe, symptoms of DM that interfere with their activity, complications that may occur due to diabetes and complex treatment rules.