Self-perceived health and self-care among diabetic subjects with defective vision: A comparison between subjects with threat of blindness and blind subjects

• Published in: Journal of diabetes and its complications Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 54 - 59
• Main Authors: Leksell, Janeth K., Sandberg, Gun E., Wikblad, Karin F.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 2005; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Blindness; Blindness - etiology; Blindness - psychology; Diabetes; Diabetic Retinopathy - complications; Diabetic Retinopathy - psychology; Diabetic Retinopathy - therapy; Education; Female; Health Status; Humans; Insulin; Male; MEDICIN; MEDICINE; Middle Aged; Patient Education as Topic; Perception; Questionnaires; Retinopathy; Self Care; Self-perceived health; Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vision, Low - etiology; Vision, Low - psychology; Diabetes
• ISSN: 1056-8727; 1873-460X; 1873-460X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2004.04.002

The aim of this study was to compare self-perceived health among diabetic patients who experienced threat of blindness with those who had already gone blind. Another aim was to explore different aspects of self-care in relation to self-perceived health among the subjects. Twenty-one diabetic patients under threat of becoming blind and 23 with diabetes-related blindness agreed to participate in the study. The participants were compared with an age- and gender-matched nondiabetic reference group. Self-perceived health was measured using the 63-item Swedish Health-Related Quality of Life Survey (SWED-QUAL) questionnaire. Data on diabetes-related variables were collected from the patient's hospital records. An interview guide was created for measuring dimensions of self-care. Patients with threat of becoming blind showed better self-perceived health than blind patients, but no differences were found in comparison with the Swedish reference group. Blind patients scored lower in 6 of the 13 health domains and they reported more problems with diabetes self-care than patients with threat of becoming blind. One of the 13 health domains, role limitations due to physical health, seemed to be associated with impaired self-care although only a partial understanding could be demonstrated. The results show that blind patients need specific support to cope well with different self-care situations. A great challenge in future research in diabetes is to implement education programs suitable especially for patients who have gone blind because of diabetes.