Abstract

AMORIM, Maria Marta Amancio; RAMOS, Natália  and  GAZZINELLI, Maria Flavia. Social representations in diabetics: implications for glycemic control. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2018, vol.19, n.2, pp.293-309. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/18psd190211.

Qualitative research involving the relationship between social representations of diet, identity and glycemic control was not found in the scientific literature on the subject. The objective of this study is to analyze the social representations of the diet of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) as they represent their identity and its implications for glycemic control. A total of 34 DM2 users from a basic health unit in Belo Horizonte, Brazil participated. We used the free association of words with justifications of questions to identify the social representations of identity and diet. The categories of identity representations were obtained from an earlier study conducted with the same participants: those who considered themselves "normal"; those who accept the disease; the nonconformists and those who lead a difficult life. The categories of social representations of diet are: eating healthy, eating vegetables and fruits, eating little, avoiding sweets, not eating at all, not eating too much and not following the diet. It is necessary to develop studies that increase awareness of the difficulties and needs of people with diabetes and promote their involvement and self-care.

Keywords : diabetes; health care primary; illness and disease chronic; self-care.

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