Literature review: the self management of diet, exercise and medicine adherence of people with type 2 diabetes is influenced by their spiritual beliefs
This article is a literature review on how the spirituality of people with type 2 diabetes can significantly impact their approach to their diabetes treatment plans. The results show that, although spirituality can give people strength to cope with a chronic condition, it may result in poor diabetes care if they abandon self management because they believe it is fate or the will of a deity for them to have diabetes. Key themes include how spirituality/religion influences the self management behaviours of diet and exercise; how the use of complementary and alternative medicines and practices affect diet and medicine adherence; how ethnicity and gender impact self management; and how coping styles affect self management, including how a "future orientated focus" may aid self care. Finally, a model is outlined that can be used in the clinic for spiritual assessment of people with diabetes