<p>This study determined the affordability of medicines for diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. The Study was a cross-sectional time-delimited, descriptive study of affordability of Medicines for diabetic patients aged &gt / 18 years and who pay for medicines out of pocket. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information about patients and the prescription was assessed in terms of conformity with essential medicines list (EML), cost and ability to be completely filled by the patient. Data was analysed using EPI Info software.the results show that medicines prescribed for diabetes are unaffordable to the majority of patients who attend the UNTH diabetic clinic.</p>

This study explored the lived experiences of chronic illness during adolescence and emerging adulthood. Previous research has indicated that chronic illness can result in disruptions to people’s lives because of the related physical challenges and social stigmas. These challenges may be particularly salient in adolescence and emerging adulthood because of pressure to “fit in” with peers, cultural associations between youth and health, and limited experience adjusting to difficult life events. However, little is known about the impact of having a chronic illness on the lives of young people. This study addresses the over-arching question: how and when can chronic illness become a problem for young people in their everyday lives (i.e., leisure, relationships, school and work) and what types of adjustments are made as a result? The final sample of participants in this study consisted of 29 young people (23 women, 6 men) each of whom was living with a chronic illness. Unstructured in-depth interviews were conducted with 26 participants, as well as 3 semi-structured electronic interviews. Data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The findings suggested that the main challenge for young people with illness is achieving a desired identity. Being able to achieve a desired identity was tied to three processes. These processes included participants’ ability to manage their appearances and reputations, accomplish desired activities, and experience positive relationships. Although most adolescents and emerging adults to some degree face these same challenges in attempting to achieve desired identities, experiences associated with chronic illness can intensify these challenges. Further, the factors that contribute to them being challenging seem to be unique to those living with a chronic illness. The findings also suggested that participants’ experienced chronic illness in varied ways. Many of the adjustments and factors that contributed to these differences, including how people’s experiences changed over time are identified. These adjustments and factors are similar to the coping strategies and constraint negotiation strategies identified in previous research at a generic level. The specific ways in which young people with chronic illness are able to achieve identity is also described, including differences within the experiences of participants.

<p>This study determined the affordability of medicines for diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. The Study was a cross-sectional time-delimited, descriptive study of affordability of Medicines for diabetic patients aged &gt / 18 years and who pay for medicines out of pocket. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information about patients and the prescription was assessed in terms of conformity with essential medicines list (EML), cost and ability to be completely filled by the patient. Data was analysed using EPI Info software.the results show that medicines prescribed for diabetes are unaffordable to the majority of patients who attend the UNTH diabetic clinic.</p>

The grief experienced by mothers and fathers when their child is diagnosed with a life threatening chronic-illness was investigated in order to validate the presence of grief in these parents and look at the factors that influence it. More specifically, I was interested in whether the grief experience differed for mothers and fathers and the impact that perceptions and coping have on both these gender differences in grief and on grief in general. The particular population investigated in this study were parents of children with Cystic Fibrosis. Participants were recruited through questionnaires randomly sent out by the National Cystic Fibrosis Association. In all, 37 mothers and 15 fathers took part. Results not only confirmed presence of grief in these parents but also indicated that this grief differs for mothers and fathers, with mothers reporting significantly higher levels of physical distress. In line with the literature no gender differences were found in regards to perception of impact parents felt their child's chronic-illness had had on their lives. Contrary to what was expected, however, no differences were found amongst the coping strategies used by mothers and fathers. In regards to the question of which factors have the greatest impact on the grief experienced by mothers and fathers combined, the coping strategy of self-blame was found to be the most important, followed closely by negative perceptions. The significance of these findings and their implications for parents and the people who work with them was discussed.

Magister Public Health - MPH / This study determined the affordability of medicines for diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu. The Study was a cross-sectional time-delimited, descriptive study of affordability of Medicines for diabetic patients aged >18 year s 18 years and who pay for medicines out of pocket. A structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information about patients and the prescription was assessed in terms of conformity with essential medicines list (EML), cost and ability to be completely filled by the patient. Data was analysed using EPI Info software.the results show that medicines prescribed for diabetes are unaffordable to the majority of patients who attend the UNTH diabetic clinic. / South Africa

This research project aims to provide insights into the psychobiology of personality of individuals living with chronic asthma to inform treatment planning. Personal experience in observing emotional and social difficulties in an asthmatic child over years and an article on the effects of asthma medication on the cognitive and psychosocial functioning of asthmatic learners raised awareness of the problem. Medical illnesses, acute and chronic, are often accompanied by a number of disease-related stressors or events that produce stress. Stress-induced changes in the nerve and immune system affect cognitive and emotional functioning that adversely affect personality development and significantly decrease the individual’s quality of life, particularly if sustained over a long period of time. This project followed a quantitative mode of enquiry, and personality profiles were compiled at hand of the 16-PF Questionnaire. The research sample consisted of 11 Afrikaans speaking, 18-year-old asthmatic individuals from the same school. Significantly meaningful characteristics associated with chronic asthma were identified, i.e., a highly tense temperament, accompanied by low resilience, subjective anxiety, low self-worth, as well as surgency or uninhibited behaviour, tempered by moderate spontaneity and warmness. It is envisioned that these insights might significantly inform planning of treatment regimes and lifestyle modification programmes. Stress relief might improve neuroendocrine and immune functioning, delay disease progression, and reduce morbidity and mortality. The focus is thus on a general stress-coping model in order to improve quality of life. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

One in four adults over the age of 60 suffers from diabetes. Around 85%-90% of individuals who have diabetes suffer from Type II diabetes. The prevalence of individuals with diabetes is expected to increase. This paper addresses the influence spousal support, friend support, and religion all have on diabetes mellitus. Gender difference in relation to spousal support benefits has also received limited attention. The limited amount of studies that have examined gender differences in relation to spousal support and diabetes management indicate that diabetic men benefit the most from spousal support due to their wives active involvement in meal preparation and grocery shopping. The results showed that neither spousal support nor religious salience was significantly related to diabetes management. There were observed gender differences in religious salience (males = 4.84, females = 5.36, p < .001) and positive spousal support (males = 3.19, females = 3.02, p <.001), but none of the major hypotheses were supported.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / This research explores the illness experiences of women and men who received a Celiac Disease Diagnosis as an adult in addition to the impact it had on their social interactions and every-day lives. Investigation of illness experiences were conducted through the use of semi-structured interviews which explored diagnosis experiences, gendered experiences, and life style impact. Significant findings of this research indicated that there are gendered diagnosis experiences among women and men who are diagnosed with this disease. More specifically, female participants reported diagnosis experiences similar to that of a contested illness. In contrast, male participants reported diagnosis experiences that reflect a routinely defined illness. Despite these results, additional research is necessary in order to better understand gendered experiences among those who are diagnosed with Celiac Disease as an adult.

It has been estimated that by the year 2014 there will be a 12 per cent increase in the number of adults with at least one chronic illness condition (Carrier, 2009). The turn to caring for those with a chronic illness at home has resulted in carers having an increased risk of developing health problems (Ohman & Soderberg, 2004). As such there is a need to understand how families manage and cope with illness at home. This study has examined the effect chronic illness had on not only the woman with illness, but also the immediate family closely involved with her care. Additionally the study has sought to address the effect chronic illness had on the ¿self¿ and ¿identity¿ of these three women and to determine what extent and impact the illness process had on the relationships within this family. The study used open-ended biographic narrative interviews to elicit data. The research revealed that each woman experienced change and loss to both ¿self¿ and ¿identity¿ albeit in different ways. Interestingly and of significance is the way these women in their narrative accounts revisited their past lives in implicating and accounting for the present and the future (Freeman 2010). It was discovered that the past history and past relationships of these women affected how they each responded to illness and each other in their present circumstances.

This study focuses on the experiences of the relationship between adolescents with asthma and their parents. Even though asthma has been described as the most common chronic illness in adolescence, very little research has been undertaken on the combined impact of asthma on the parent-adolescent relationship. The goal of this study was to explore and describe how adolescents with asthma and their parents experience their relationships with each other. The research was conducted from a qualitative research approach and followed a case study design. This allowed the researcher to develop an understanding of the meaning that the participants gave to their life experiences. A total of four families consisting of one adolescent and two parents each was purposefully selected and obtained with the assistance of a medical practitioner specialising in pulmonary disease in Bloemfontein. The adolescents had to be between the ages of 14 and 18, formally diagnosed with asthma by a medical practitioner and currently be taking medication prescribed by the relevant practitioner. In addition they had to be living with both of their biological parents in the same household. The qualitative data were gathered in the form of individual reflective journals, semistructured group interviews and unstructured individual interviews. The researcher‟s objective was to understand and interpret the meanings the participants gave to their own experiences, which were further done through field notes, member checking, and drawings participants made in the reflective journals. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed by the researcher. Thematic data analysis was used to transform the journal entries and transcribe data into meaningful information. The drawings made in the journals were analysed with the assistance of participants, thus a shared analysis. The Constant Comparative method was used to identify themes related to the research question from the researcher‟s field notes. The principles and strategies for ensuring the trustworthiness of the data were done through crystallisation. The findings of the study revealed that adolescents and their parents experienced mixed emotions in terms of asthma and the impact asthma had on their relationships. The adolescents‟ and parents‟ beliefs concerning the topics of the research were often contradictory. It was evident that they experience specific and often contrasting roles and responsibilities regarding the management of asthma in the parent-adolescent relationship, and most families had to make significant adjustments in their family lifestyle and relationships as a result of the adolescents‟ asthma. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014