Analysis of the Factors Influencing Illness Perception in Patients with Diabetes

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to examine the factors influencing illness perception in patients with diabetes. The participants of the study were 218 diabetes in four different hospitals in three different clinics. A socio-demographic questionnaire and the Illness Perception Questionnaire were applied to patients to collect the data. It was found that the variables of age, gender, marital status, education level, work status, socio-economic status, dietary status, state of being educated about the illness, psychological support received, state of knowledge about the illness, type of diabetes, and length of time after diagnosis have influenced the illness perception in diabetes. It was also determined that most of the patients experienced symptoms they thought to be related to their illness, perceived their illness as chronic, thought that their illness affected their physical, social and psychological functions, believed that their therapies were effective and were affected emotionally by their illness.