Vol. 8, Issue 6 (2019)

Author(s):
Farha Sultana, Dr. K Uma Devi, Dr. T Sarah Kamala and Dr. K Aparna

Abstract:
Diabetes is the increasingly growing metabolic threat and a leading global public health concern, especially in developing countries. India ranks second in prevalence of diabetes after China. Many people who suffer from diabetes have poor quality of life, as a result of less attention to their self-care and disease management. When self-care is diminished in diabetes, it in turn leads to poor glycaemic control and increased risk of complications. Hence assessment of diabetes management practices is very crucial for health and well being in the long run. It is also important to understand the impact of religion on management practices of diabetes. The study used purposive sampling technique to select 180 subjects taking 60 from each religion aged 30-60 years, having type 2 diabetes for more than 2 years from various hospitals, diabetes centres/clinics, colonies, religious places, friends, family and relatives among Muslim, Hindu and Christian communities in Hyderabad. The results showed that Christians had better diet related practices, greater involvement in physical activity and exercise when compared to Hindus and Muslims while Hindus had greater adherence to medical treatment and more focussed on attaining diabetes control related information compared to other two religions. When compared to females, males had better management practices than females in all religions, with no statistical difference among them. Overall, the total management practices score was highest among Christians followed by Hindus and Muslims. Significant difference was observed among the three religions in terms of physical activity, attainment of diabetes education.