Abstract

MEDINA LOPEZ, OFELIA MERCEDES; DIAZ PINZON, ALMA DELIA; BARRIENTOS GONZALEZ, EUGENIA  and  PENA MARTINEZ, DOLORES ESTHER. Health perception and its effect on patients with diabetes. av.enferm. [online]. 2009, vol.27, n.2, pp.13-18. ISSN 0121-4500.

Introduction: Perceived Health is a significant predictor of mortality, attitude towards death, adherence to treatments during illnesses; i.e. the way people see themselves in their current and future condition and in their psychological adaptation to it. Therefore, it plays an important role on health promoting behavior. This study made us ponder about these concepts and about habits of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (PDMT2), which represents a global health problem. Purpose: to determine the effect of personal conditions (biological, psychological and social-cultural) over the behavior (life style) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Theoretical Framework: " Pender's health promotion model" (1). Methodology: descriptive-co-relational design in a sample of 125 patients. Results: the personal condition variables (biological, psychological and social-cultural) had an impact on the lifestyle variable (nutrition, exercise, health related responsibility and appropriate stress management) (F cal, = 4.780 R2 38,7, p = 0,001). Conclusion: results support the relationship between concepts selected from " Pender's health promotion model" (2003) and those that show that health perception of PDMT2 promotes changes in motor behavior (i.e. in lifestyle). Therefore, patients are able to act, in co-responsibility with the health team, to improve control of their illness and to avoid or to delay complications.

Keywords : Health; Life Style; Diabetes Mellitus Type 2.

        · abstract in Spanish | Portuguese     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )