| Author |
Stuckey, Heather L. Mullan-Jensen, Christine Kalra, Sanjay Reading, Jean Wens, Johan Vallis, Michael Kokoszka, Andrzej Malek, Rachid Kovacs Burns, Katharina Piana, Natalia Skovlund, Søren E. Peyrot, Mark |
| Description |
Author Affiliation: Stuckey HL ( Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA. Electronic address: hstuckey@hmc.psu.edu.); Mullan-Jensen C ( Spark Market Research, Dublin, Ireland.); Kalra S ( Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital & B.R.I.D.E., Karnal, India.); Reading J ( Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA.); Wens J ( Department of Medicine and Health Sciences, Primary and Interdisciplinary Care Antwerp, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.); Vallis M ( Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.); Kokoszka A ( II Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.); Malek R ( Department of Internal Medicine, Setif University Hospital, Algeria.); Kovacs Burns K ( Interdisciplinary Health Research Academy, Edmonton Clinic Health Academy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.); Piana N ( Healthy Lifestyle Institute, (C.U.R.I.A.MO.: Centro Universitario di Ricerca Interdipartimentale Attività Motoria), University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.); Skovlund SE ( Spark Market Research, Dublin, Ireland.); Peyrot M ( Department of Sociology, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA.) |
| Abstract |
AIMS: The second Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) study identified the experiences of family members who support adults living with diabetes. METHODS: Participants were 2057 adult family members living with the person with diabetes from 17 countries. Qualitative data were responses to open-ended survey questions about how living with a person with diabetes has impacted family members and the ways they choose to be involved in the diabetes care for the person with whom they live. Emergent coding with input from multinational collaborators identified thematic content about psychosocial aspects. RESULTS: Family members wanted to do what was best for the person with diabetes and help in whatever way possible. Four themes branched from that principle: (1) family members worry about day-to-day struggles of the person with diabetes, such as hypoglycemia and employment stability; (2) diabetes negatively affects the person with diabetes-family member relationship, creating an emotional strain and shift in relationship; (3) family members have some support resources to deal with the burdens and lifestyle changes of diabetes, but would like more; and (4) the person with diabetes has provided inspiration to the family member, and helped the family member make positive life changes in eating healthier. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide insight into the ways that family members experience living with diabetes, including their challenges, motivations and intentions in supporting their person with diabetes. Family members speak eloquently and with emotion about their role in a family with diabetes. |
