Barriers to lifestyle modification compliance among type 2 diabetic patients in Lesotho

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been considered a serious long-term condition which is one of the top 10 causes of death among adults and it has got a major impact on lives and well-being of individuals, families and societies. The most common type of DM in Africa is Type2 (T2DM). Diabetes being a major problem worldwide, healthy eating coupled with regular physical activity help in achieving a good glycemic control as well as delaying and reducing the onset of commonest diabetes complications. The current study aimed at exploring the barrier to lifestyle modification compliance among type 2 diabetic clients at Paki health center Lesotho. In this study, a quantitative descriptive design was applied in exploring the barriers of compliance to lifestyle modifications (diabetes self- management) among adults with type 2 diabetes. Data was collected using semi-structured questionnaires, which were administered to 40 study participants who were purposively selected for inclusion into study. The study revealed that among other factors, financial constraints 21participants (52.5%) is associated with non- compliance to healthy eating habits. Other reasons from non-compliance to healthy eating were identified as absence of written instructions, sickness, lack of stamina to exercise, laziness and lack of access to physical activity facilities with percentages 85%, 65%, 50% and 40% respectively. Thus, study findings reveal needs for continuous health education on health benefits of healthy eating habits and physical activity.