Abstract

GOMEZ-PALENCIA, Isabel Patricia; CASTILLO-AVILA, Irma Yolanda  and  ALVIS-ESTRADA, Luis Reinaldo. Uncertainty in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes According to Merle Mishel's Theory. Aquichan [online]. 2015, vol.15, n.2, pp.210-218. ISSN 1657-5997.  https://doi.org/10.5294/aqui.2015.15.2.5.

Objective: Describe the level of uncertainty experienced by adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are being treated at health care institutions in Cartagena, Colombia. Materials and Methods: This is descriptive study based on a sample of 163 patients who had been diagnosed with the disease at least two months earlier. Mishel'suncertainty in illness scale was the instrument used and the information was analyzed with SPSS Statistics 20.0. Findings: A good portion of the participants (76.1%) showed normal levels of uncertainty. The phenomenon of uncertainty is related largely to an inability to identify whether or not there has been an improvement (86.5%), to predict or explain the cause of physical discomfort (76.7%) orto predict a change in symptoms (60.1%). Conclusions: Investigating this phenomenon allows for a better approach to analyzing the challenges facing those living with a chronic illness, as well as their expectations, in order to provide care that facilitates the best possible process of adaptation and supports and enriches nursing practice.

Keywords : Uncertainty; chronic illness; diabetes mellitus; nursing.

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