Pessoas que vivem com diabetes mellitus tipo 2: subsídios para o cuidado e para a promoção da saúde

Abstract

Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs) make up the largest group of diseases in the world, being responsible for the highest morbidity and mortality rates. In this context, diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the NCDs, which according to the International Diabetes Federation, by the year 2021, there were 537 million people living with this chronic health condition in the world, occupying the Brazil is in 6th place of the ten countries with the highest number of people affected, around 15.7 million people. In view of this, the need for health professionals to assist this public becomes evident, especially in Primary Health Care (PHC), which is the gateway to the health care network in the Unified Health System (SUS). Ensuring the user's co-responsibility and autonomy in their self-care, through educational activities that guide them, are important strategies to be adopted. The objective of the research was to evaluate the conditions of the feet of people with type 2 DM in a city in southern Brazil, stratifying the risk for diabetic foot complications, in order to provide support for health promotion, given that diabetic neuropathy is the chronic complication that most affects individuals living with the disease. For this, research was carried out with a qualitative approach and a convergent care method. Participants were individuals aged 45 years or older, diagnosed with type 2 DM, with a glycated hemoglobin (HG) value greater than 5.7%. The study setting was a Primary Health Care Unit in the municipality of Chapecó. Data production took place between June and August 2023, after approval by the UFFS Ethics Committee. The research stages included data collection, selection of participants and assessment of the feet themselves. Data analysis was based on what was proposed by convergent care research. The results indicate a female predominance in the diagnosis of DM and associated hypertension. Most Hb1Ac values are in a regular range, and the risk of developing lesions on the feet of the patients evaluated was low. After holding a health education group, it was clear that patients lack information for self-care in DM, and PHC should encourage such practices.