Patients-Perceived Family and Social Support in Managing Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Family and social support is a very important element in managing all chronic diseases. Diabetes affects not only health, but it affects also, among others, lifestyle, diet, family and social relationships. Different ethnic and cultural populations rely differently on family and society in getting support.

Objective: Evaluation of family and social support in managing diabetes as perceived by patients. Patients and methods: 70 inpatients (patients with diabetes recovered during February-March 2013) with diabetes diagnosed at least 1 year ago were interviewed on issues regarding diabetes managing and family and social support. Demographic and clinical data were recorded too.

Results: 36 females (51.4%) and 34 males (48.6%), with average age 53.4 years (standard deviation 11.1), were interviewed. Time with diabetes was: 1-3 years in 16 (22.9%), 3-6 years in 12 (17.1%), 6-9 years in 11 (15.7%), 9-12 years in 10 (14.3%), and >12 years in 21 (30%) patients. Support was considered as good if patients answered that they agree or totally agree to the relevant questions. 67 (95.6%) patients affirmed that family was aware that they have diabetes, against 50 (71.4%) affirming the same for their friends. 54 (77.2%) patients confirmed good family support in accommodating their needs, against 39 (55.7%) confirming good social support. Overall satisfaction about family support in managing diabetes was evaluate as good by 64 (91.4%) patients, meanwhile 45 (64.3%) patients referred the same for social support. Interestingly, only 5 (7.1%) patients answered that they were calling a family member or a friend with diabetes to ask diabetes-related questions, against 27 (38.6%) patients calling an endocrinologist or general physician.

Conclusions: Overall family and social support was perceived as good by most of the patients. Family support was superior to social support in all diabetes-related fields. Interestingly, confronted to females, males declared higher rating for family support and lower rating for social support, although family support was more rated by both genders. A possible explanation of this difference between genders may be that, in most of the families, females are in charge of family needs. Accordingly, males may get better support from their partners.