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Predictors of Diabetes Fatalism Among Arabs: A Cross-Sectional Study of Lebanese Adults with Type 2 Diabetes. J Relig Health 2018 Jun;57(3):858-868

Date

06/10/2017

Pubmed ID

28597199

DOI

10.1007/s10943-017-0430-0

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-85020482162 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   8 Citations

Abstract

Fatalism is a grounded cultural belief that is common among Arabs and is known to hinder self-care in chronic diseases including diabetes (Nabolsi and Carson in Scand J Caring Sci 25(4):716-724, 2011). The purpose of this study is to identify predictors of diabetes fatalism in this population. Data on 280 Lebanese patients with type 2 diabetes (mean age 58.24 ± 13.48 years; mean HbA1c 7.90 ± 1.90%; 53.76% females) recruited from one hospital in greater Beirut, Lebanon, and from the community using snowballing technique were examined. Multiple linear regression was used to assess the independent association between diabetes fatalism and demographic and patient characteristics. Age (β = -.14, 95% CI -.27, -.002), BMI (β = .35, 95% CI .15; .54), level of education (β = -3.98, 95% CI -7.64; -.32) and number of diabetes problems (β = -5.03, 95% CI -9.89; -.18) were significantly associated with diabetes fatalism in the regression model. The combination of demographic and patient characteristics accounted for 14.5% of the variance in diabetes fatalism scores' change. Patients with type 2 diabetes who exhibited more fatalistic attitudes were younger, of lower education levels, had higher BMI and had fewer diabetes comorbidities. Such findings are crucial for healthcare practitioners to identify fatalistic patients and to tailor culturally appropriate strategies in diabetes management. Further studies are warranted to explore other potential determinants of diabetes fatalism with larger sample and non-Lebanese Arabic population.

Author List

Sukkarieh-Haraty O, Egede LE, Abi Kharma J, Bassil M

Author

Leonard E. Egede MD Center Director, Chief, Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Arabs
Attitude to Health
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Female
Humans
Lebanon
Male
Middle Aged
Quality of Life
Surveys and Questionnaires