Knowledge about the disease and self-care patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Conocimientos sobre la enfermedad y autocuidado de pacientes con Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2*

Objective. To determine the knowledge and self-care conditions of patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Materials and methods. Descriptive, cross-sectional, quantitative study. The sample consisted of 41 patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus from an IPS in Monteria, Colombia. Results. Most participants were between 48 to 77 years old; primary education level and baccalaureate, 20% illiterate; 88% reside in urban areas and 73% are female. The patients said they know the basic care, however, 46% do not know what their illness consists of and the complications of it. The medication, exercise and feeding are the educational subjects that most frequently give them in the controls; in relation to self-monitoring, only those patients who administer insulin receive it; More than half of the patients reported having acute or chronic complications such as high blood pressure, hypoglycemia, retinopathy and neuropathy. Conclusions. Deficient knowledge about the disease and its self-care in the study participants was evidenced, so it is necessary to develop strategies and educational support interventions taking into account the sociodemographic characteristics, needs and individualities of the patients that allow them to appropriate the knowledge to achieve adequate self-care and therapeutic goals.