Lived experiences of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus regarding self-care management and diabetes-related distress in teaching hospitals in Ogun State

Objective: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) requires sustained self-care, yet the everyday realities shaping patients’ experiences in low-resource settings remain insufficiently understood. Objective: This study explored the lived experiences of self-care management and diabetes-related distress among adults with T2DM attending tertiary hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: A hermeneutic phenomenological design was used. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected adults (N=20) receiving care at two teaching hospitals. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and interpreted thematically using an iterative hermeneutic approach. Data collection and analysis proceeded concurrently, and saturation was reached at the twentieth interview. Results: Two interconnected interpretive domains were identified: Structured Self-Care Behaviour Within Structural and Relational Constraints and Diabetes-Related Distress as Cumulative Emotional and Material Burden. Participants described self-care as highly routinised but strongly shaped by financial limitations, bodily constraints, and reliance on social support. Distress accumulated over time through treatment workload, economic pressure, and the emotional demands of sustained self-management. Conclusion: Among adults with T2DM in this setting, self-care is negotiated within intersecting structural and relational constraints rather than enacted as purely individual behaviour. Integrating affordable care resources and routine psychosocial support into diabetes services may help reduce the everyday burden experienced by patients.