Abstracto

A Study of Self-Management in Diabetes Care& Treatment

Smita Singh, Rashmi Verma, Rajesh Kr. Dubey, Sunita Arya

Treatment of diabetes leading to improved control is a 24-hour-a-day activity and often includes changes in lifestyle, most of which patients with diabetes must provide for themselves on a daily basis. Self-management of diabetes involves a number of considerations and choices that the patient with diabetes must make on a daily basis. Selfmanagement of diabetes is closely connected to the self-care concept, which can be related to the practice of activities that individuals initiate and perform on their own behalf in maintaining life, health, and well-being. The self-care concept in this thesis is inspired by Orem theory of self-care and is seen as a health resource in the individual. The Orem theory of selfcare as a fundamental need in humans is based on the values of autonomy and independence. In Orem’s understanding, self-care is a learned and purposeful activity of the individual that requires a certain level of maturity enabling the individual to perform effective, purposeful, controlled and consistent actions. The theory also encompasses healthcare providers to help a person with their actual or potential self-care deficits. In this thesis self-care is seen as context dependent ability. Therefore, the self-care activity is not only a process directed inwards affected by personal conditions, but the ability to conduct self-care is also affected by interpersonal and external conditions. Thus, the context and the dynamics of available resources determine the conduct of self-care activities.