Self-Management Experiences of Diabetic Patients in One-Person Household

Though the role of the family is important in diabetes management, the increase in one-person household is complicating this role. Therefore, we divided diabetes patients who lived alone with overall health vulnerability into age groups to understand their lives and seek educational methods that can help them. Young one-person household diabetes patients suffered greatly from anxiety and depression about the future, while patients who managed well accurately understood information about their health and tried to manage it on their own. Middle-aged one-person household diabetes patients who were men had greater difficulty preparing meals, while women had greater anxiety about worsening health, but they tried to improve their lifestyle habits to look after their health and become independent. Elderly one-person household diabetes patients had great difficulty living independently due to old age and needed help with diabetes care. This study aimed to understand the lives of one-person household diabetes patients and learn about their experiences with self-management. Based on this, diabetes educators should pay attention to the personal and environmental factors of patients and strive to provide customized education. They should also identify and connect to various resources available in the community.