Register      Login
Australian Journal of Primary Health Australian Journal of Primary Health Society
The issues influencing community health services and primary health care
RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Factors influencing self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes in general practice: a qualitative study

Julie Dao A C , Catherine Spooner A , Winston Lo B and Mark F. Harris A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A UNSW Sydney, Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity, Level 3, AGSM Building, Botany Street, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.

B Western Sydney University, School of Medicine, Building 30, Narellan Road & Gilchrist Drive, Campbelltown, Sydney, NSW 2560, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: julie.dao96@gmail.com

Australian Journal of Primary Health 25(2) 176-184 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY18095
Submitted: 22 June 2018  Accepted: 12 January 2019   Published: 20 March 2019

Journal Compilation © La Trobe University 2019 Open Access CC BY-NC-ND

Abstract

Many Australian adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) do not follow recommended self-management behaviours that could prevent or delay complications. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the factors influencing self-management of T2DM in general practice. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with patients with T2DM (n = 10) and their GPs (n = 4) and practice nurses (n = 3) in a low socioeconomic area of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The interviews were analysed thematically using the socio-ecological model as a framework for coding. Additional themes were derived inductively based on the explicitly stated meaning of the text. Factors influencing self-management occurred on four levels of the socio-ecological model: individual (e-health literacy, motivation, time constraints); interpersonal (family and friends, T2DM education, patient-provider relationship); organisational (affordability, multidisciplinary care); and community levels (culture, self-management resources). Multi-level strategies are needed to address this wide range of factors that are beyond the scope of single services or organisations. These could include tailoring health education and resources to e-health literacy and culture; attention to social networks and the patient–provider relationship; and facilitating access to affordable on-site allied health services.


References

Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) (2011) Sydney - South West (SA4) (127). (ABS: Belconnen, ACT, Australia) Available at http://stat.abs.gov.au/itt/r.jsp?RegionSummary&region=127&dataset=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS&geoconcept=REGION&datasetASGS=ABS_REGIONAL_ASGS&datasetLGA=ABS_NRP9_LGA&regionLGA=REGION&regionASGS=REGION [Verified 1 February 2019]

Afzali HHA, Karnon J, Beilby J, Gray J, Holton C, Banham D (2014) Practice nurse involvement in general practice clinical care: policy and funding issues need resolution. Australian Health Review 38, 301–305.
Practice nurse involvement in general practice clinical care: policy and funding issues need resolution.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Anderson M, Perrin A (2017) Tech adoption climbs along older adults. (Pew Research Center: Washington, DC, USA) Available at http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/05/17/tech-adoption-climbs-among-older-adults/ [Verified 26 November 2018]

Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) (2014) Diabetes compendium. (AIHW: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/diabetes/diabetes-compendium/contents/how-many-australians-have-diabetes [Verified 21 October 2017]

Ball L, Davmor R, Leveritt M, Desbrow B, Ehrlich C, Chaboyer W (2016) Understanding the nutrition care needs of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: a need for open communication and patient-focussed consultations. Australian Journal of Primary Health 22, 416–422.
Understanding the nutrition care needs of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes: a need for open communication and patient-focussed consultations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26434357PubMed |

Bodenheimer T, Wagner EH, Grumbach K (2002) Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness. Journal of the American Medical Association 288, 1775–1779.
Improving primary care for patients with chronic illness.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12365965PubMed |

Booth AO, Lowis C, Dean M, Hunter SJ, McKinley MC (2013) Diet and physical activity in the self-management of type 2 diabetes: barriers and facilitators identified by patients and health professionals. Primary Health Care Research and Development 14, 293–306.
Diet and physical activity in the self-management of type 2 diabetes: barriers and facilitators identified by patients and health professionals.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23739524PubMed |

Boyatzis RE (1998) ‘Transforming Qualitative Information: Thematic Analysis and Code Development.’ (Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA)

Braun V, Clarke V (2013) ‘Successful Qualitative Research: A Practical Guide for Beginners.’ (Sage: London, UK)

Brown JB, Harris SB, Webster-Bogaert S, Wetmore S, Faulds C, Stewart M (2002) The role of patient, physician and systemic factors in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Family Practice 19, 344–349.
The role of patient, physician and systemic factors in the management of type 2 diabetes mellitus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 12110552PubMed |

Centre for Epidemiology and Evidence (2016) HealthStats NSW – diabetes hospitalisations by type of diabetes and age. (NSW Ministry of Health: Sydney, NSW, Australia) Available at http://www.healthstats.nsw.gov.au/Indicator/dia_typehos/dia_typehos_phn_snap [Verified 1 February 2019]

Choi TST, Walker KZ, Lombard CB, Palermo C (2017) Optimising the effectiveness of diabetes education in an East Asian population. Nutrition & Dietetics: the Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia 74, 253–260.
Optimising the effectiveness of diabetes education in an East Asian population.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Crabtree BF, Miller WF (1992) A Template Approach to Text Analysis: Developing and Using Codebooks. In ‘Doing Qualitative Research’. pp. 93–109. (Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA)

Department of Health (2015) Australian National Diabetes Strategy 2016–2020. (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/3AF935DA210DA043CA257EFB000D0C03/$File/Australian National Diabetes Strategy 2016–2020.pdf [Verified 6 January 2018]

Department of Health (2018) Health Care Homes—Health professionals. (Commonwealth of Australia: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-care-homes-professional [Verified 6 January 2018]

Fereday J, Muir-Cochrane E (2006) Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 5, 80–92.
Demonstrating rigor using thematic analysis: a hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Glanz K, Rimer BK, Viswanath K (2008) ‘Health Behavior and Health Education: Theory, Research, and Practice.’ (John Wiley & Sons: San Francisco, CA, USA)

Haden R (2009) ‘Food Culture in the Pacific Islands.’ (ABC-CLIO: Santa Barbara, CA, USA)

Kaufman DR, Mirkovic J, Chan C (2017) eHealth literacy as a mediator of health behaviors. In ‘Cognitive Informatics in Health and Biomedicine: Understanding and Modeling Health Behaviors.’ (Eds VL Patel, JF Arocha, JS Ancker) pp. 271–297. (Springer International Publishing: Cham, Switzerland)

Levesque JF, Harris MF, Russell G (2013) Patient-centred access to health care: conceptualising access at the interface of health systems and populations. International Journal for Equity in Health 12, 18
Patient-centred access to health care: conceptualising access at the interface of health systems and populations.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23496984PubMed |

Levin-Zamir D, Badarne S, Najami M, Gan Noy S, Poraz I, Shapira M, Lieberman N, Goldfracht M (2016) The use of focus groups as a basis for planning and implementing culturally appropriate health promotion among people with diabetes in the Arab community. Global Health Promotion 23, 5–14.
The use of focus groups as a basis for planning and implementing culturally appropriate health promotion among people with diabetes in the Arab community.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25802303PubMed |

Mayberry LS, Osborn CY (2014) Family involvement is helpful and harmful to patients’ self-care and glycemic control. Patient Education and Counseling 97, 418–425.
Family involvement is helpful and harmful to patients’ self-care and glycemic control.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25282327PubMed |

Murphy K, Casey D, Dinneen S, Lawton J, Brown F (2011) Participants’ perceptions of the factors that influence diabetes self-management following a structured education (DAFNE) programme. Journal of Clinical Nursing 20, 1282–1292.
Participants’ perceptions of the factors that influence diabetes self-management following a structured education (DAFNE) programme.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21492274PubMed |

Nagelkerk J, Reick K, Meengs L (2006) Perceived barriers and effective strategies to diabetes self-management. Journal of Advanced Nursing 54, 151–158.
Perceived barriers and effective strategies to diabetes self-management.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16553701PubMed |

National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) (2017) Australian diabetes map. (Diabetes Australia: Canberra, ACT, Australia) Available at https://map.ndss.com.au/#/ [Verified 1 February 2019]

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (2016) ‘General Practice Management of Type 2 Diabetes.’ (RACGP: East Melbourne, Vic., Australia)

Rose VK, Harris MF (2013) ‘Training’ friends and family to provide positive social support in diabetes self-management: experience of ethnically diverse patients. Diabetic Medicine 30, 372–373.
‘Training’ friends and family to provide positive social support in diabetes self-management: experience of ethnically diverse patients.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22998165PubMed |

Rose VK, Harris MF (2015) Experiences of self-management support from GPs among Australian ethnically diverse diabetes patients: a qualitative study. Psychology, Health & Medicine 20, 114–120.
Experiences of self-management support from GPs among Australian ethnically diverse diabetes patients: a qualitative study.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Rowsell A, Muller I, Murray E, Little P, Byrne CD, Ganahl K, Muller G, Gibney S, Lyles CR, Lucas A, Nutbeam D, Yardley L (2015) Views of people with high and low levels of health literacy about a digital intervention to promote physical activity for diabetes: a qualitative study in five countries. Journal of Medical Internet Research 17, e230
Views of people with high and low levels of health literacy about a digital intervention to promote physical activity for diabetes: a qualitative study in five countries.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 26459743PubMed |

South Western Sydney Primary Health Network (2016) Primary Health Network – needs assessment reporting template: Western Sydney. (Department of Health: Sydney, NSW, Australia) Available at https://www.wentwest.com.au/content/documents/phn/needs-assessment/WSPHN_AOD_Needs_Assess_Dec_12_2016.pdf [Verified 10 November 2017]

Steinsbekk A, Rygg L, Lisulo M, Rise MB, Fretheim A (2012) Group based diabetes self-management education compared to routine treatment for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A systematic review with meta-analysis. BMC Health Services Research 12, 213
Group based diabetes self-management education compared to routine treatment for people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A systematic review with meta-analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22824531PubMed |

Tennant B, Stellefson M, Dodd V, Chaney B, Chaney D, Paige S, Alber J (2015) eHealth literacy and web 2.0 health information seeking behaviors among baby boomers and older adults. Journal of Medical Internet Research 17, e70
eHealth literacy and web 2.0 health information seeking behaviors among baby boomers and older adults.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 25783036PubMed |

Ventura AD, Browne JL, Holmes-Truscott E, Hendrieckx C, Pouwer F, Speight J (2016) Diabetes MILES-2 2016 Survey Report. Diabetes Victoria, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.

Wellard SJ, Rennie S, King R (2008) Perceptions of people with type 2 diabetes about self-management and the efficacy of community based services. Contemporary Nurse 29, 218–226.
Perceptions of people with type 2 diabetes about self-management and the efficacy of community based services.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18844535PubMed |

Wen LK, Shepherd MD, Parchman ML (2004) Family support, diet, and exercise among older Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes. The Diabetes Educator 30, 980–993.
Family support, diet, and exercise among older Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15641619PubMed |

Williamson AR, Hunt AE, Pope JF, Tolman NM (2000) Recommendations of dietitians for overcoming barriers to dietary adherence in individuals with diabetes. The Diabetes Educator 26, 272–279.
Recommendations of dietitians for overcoming barriers to dietary adherence in individuals with diabetes.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 10865592PubMed |

Zeh P, Sandhu HK, Cannaby AM, Sturt JA (2012) The impact of culturally competent diabetes care interventions for improving diabetes-related outcomes in ethnic minority groups: a systematic review. Diabetic Medicine 29, 1237–1252.
The impact of culturally competent diabetes care interventions for improving diabetes-related outcomes in ethnic minority groups: a systematic review.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 22553954PubMed |