Occupational Therapy Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Occupational Therapy

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

First Advisor

Rachelle Dorne

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2015

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2015

Abstract

Abstract Objective: The aim of this phenomenological study was to understand the challenges of living with type 2 diabetes on a daily basis and the impact of diabetes on participants’ lives. Method: A convenient sampling technique and word of mouth was used to recruit individuals to volunteer in the study. Ten participants volunteered, who were 60 to 80 years of age, living in communities in two northeastern states with variations in socio-economic status, and with complications related to diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Other inclusionary criteria were an acquired complication from their diabetes in the last 3 months to 10 years, resulting in a disability or alteration in the way participants conducted their typical daily routines and activities. Participants were currently receiving or had received community services from different types of programs. The variations in socio-economic status, complications, and settings were sought to provide a broader comprehensive level of insight and understanding of facilitators and barriers of participants’ self-management of type 2 diabetes. Two to three interviews were conducted with each participant and digitally recorded, using open-ended questions. A phenomenological data analysis approach was employed using Colaizzi’s method (Shosha, 2012) as advanced by Moustakas (1994). Findings: Six major themes that manifested the 10 participants’ lived experiences of self-management of diabetes were the following: unexpected discovery of diabetes started the whole process of care and self-management; indicators of acceptance, denial, the process of moving from denial to acceptance; physical and psychosocial complications all tied to a diabetic body; a need for change and adaptation: continuous balancing act; building and supporting capacity to self-manage; and meaningful occupations are impetus to diabetes self-management. Conclusions: Findings provided consideration of facilitators and barriers that may improve client-centered collaborative partnerships and occupational therapy community programs, which may lead to best practices.

Disciplines

Occupational Therapy

Keywords

Challenges of living with type 2 diabetes; Collaborative partnerships; Diabetes self-management; Facilitators and barriers to diabetes self-management; Phenomenological study; Supporting capacity to self-manage

Download
To access this thesis/dissertation you must have a valid nova.edu OR mynsu.nova.edu email address and create an account for NSUWorks.

Free My Thesis

If you are the author of this work and would like to grant permission to make it openly accessible to all, please click the Free My Thesis button.

  Contact Author

Share

 
COinS