Impactos da diabetes mellitus tipo 2 na qualidade de vida de idosos: um estudo feito com o projeto caravana da terceira idade

Abstract

Among the most common chronic conditions in the population of Brazil is diabetes mellitus. Type 2 DM can cause several complications in the patient's life, such as blindness, leading to limb amputation or loss of kidney function. Therefore, it is notorious that the quality of life of patients with type 2 DM is directly affected. Based on this demand, this research aims to evaluate the impacts of type 2 diabetes mellitus on the quality of life of elderly people assisted by the Caravan of the Third Age Project. This is a mixed research, being qualitative and quantitative, of a descriptive-exploratory nature. A non-probabilistic convenience sample of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus was used. The aim of this study was to collect data from elderly individuals from the Third Age Caravan Project in Morrinhos, Ceará. Three instruments were applied: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Problems Areas in Diabetes (BPAID), to assess the impact of diabetes and treatment on patients' lives, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument Bref (WHOQOL-bref) to assess quality of life, as well

as an interview script based on data found in the literature on the subject. Descriptive- exploratory analyses and correlations were performed, enabling us to understand the profile of

these patients and their quality of life indices and how these factors relate to each other. Content analyses were also performed based on interviews with study participants. The study was submitted to and approved by the Research Ethics Board, obtaining approval (No. 6,940,294). The results of the study were a total sample of 32 participants, aged between 62 and 92 years, with incomplete elementary school education, complete or incomplete high school education, with marital status married, widowed, divorced and single, family income between less than a minimum wage, a minimum wage and more than a minimum wage. The elderly accompanied by the Third Age Caravan Project are represented by the following data: characterized by elderly people, mostly 74 years old, female, with incomplete elementary school education, diagnosed with diabetes for at least 1 year and a half, mostly married, have a family income of a minimum wage, identify as black, when asked about color/race, do not perform physical activity and have a moderate level of stress related to illness, regarding quality of life, have an average overall quality of life, but with low physical, psychological, environmental and social domains. And that there are important relationships between socioeconomic factors (sex, age, education, race, income) and the domains of quality of life. These findings may be useful to facilitate health interventions with people who have diabetes mellitus, providing data for health managers, departments, health professionals and for the State of Ceará.