| Summary: | 碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 公共衛生學系碩士班 === 101 === Diabetes is one of the most common causes of death in Taiwan. It has been the top five most common cause of death since 2002. Besides, more expenditure was used in the management of the complications of diabetes, like vascular diseases, renal disease, blindness and neuropathy. Diabetes is a chronic disease which requires patients to conduct intensive self-care behaviors to prevent patients from complications. According to conventional medicine, these self-care behaviors mainly include taking medications, diet control, and exercise. Patients’ compliance of these medical recommendations positively correlates with diabetes control. However, compliance is generally low among diabetes patients. In addition, many patients used supplementary diets as complementary strategies to control their diabetes without through understanding of the benefits and harms.
This study used qualitative research methods to explore medical compliance among type II diabetes patients and their use of supplementary food. We found that patients were easier to comply with medication compliance compared to diet and exercise. In addition, patients’ diet compliance are very likely to decrease their medication compliance and vice versa. The seriousness of their diabetes plays an role for patients to modify their self-care behaviors.
We also found that by using supplementary food, some patients wanted to control blood sugar, to strengthen their immune system, and to cure diabetes. The effectiveness was generally not well known; three patients even reported that their complications developed earlier because they did not adhere to their medication regimen and in took supplementary food instead.
In conclusion, this study disclosed diabetes patients’ experiences in medical compliance and supplementary food intake. Recommendations were proposed for health professionals and for researchers based on the findings of this study.
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