ABSTRACT
Objective:
To evaluate the emotional aspects and self-care of elderly people with Diabetes Mellitus.
Method:
a descriptive, exploratory, and quantitative study with 105 elderly people from an outpatient clinic in a hospital located in the city of Belém-Pará, Brazil, carried out between July and September 2022. The following questionnaires were used: sociodemographic, economic, and clinical data; problem areas in Diabetes; and Diabetes self-care activities. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency and percentage) and inferential analysis using the following tests: Chi-square, and the G-adherence test.
Results:
low emotional distress was found in items: nine (p = 0.0001), ten to twenty (p<0.0001), and good adherence to self-care in the domains of general nutrition (p<0.0001), specific nutrition (p<0.0001), foot care and medication (p<0.0001).
Conclusion:
The findings can be linked to adequate guidance on daily care, contributing to the perception of the emotional condition and its relationship with self-care.
KEYWORDS:
Elderly; Diabetes Mellitus; Surveys and Questionnaires; Self-care; Mental Health.
HIGHLIGHTS
1. They have a clinical profile prone to complications associated with diabetes.
2. The majority had a low level of emotional distress.
3. Self-care evaluation was considered desirable.
4. Emotional condition is a determining factor for the self-care.