Abstract

GARCIA CASTRO, Marlene  and  GARCIA GONZALEZ, Rosario. Social problems referred to by a group of persons receiving attention at the Diabetic Care Center. Rev Cubana Endocrinol [online]. 2005, vol.16, n.2, pp. 0-0. ISSN 1561-2953.

The non-communicable chronic disease is a phenomenon that occupies an important place in the health situation of the world population, affects the quality of life of the individual and influences on the somatic, psychological and social aspects. Diabetes mellitus is an example par excellence of this situation, whose interference may comprises aspects of the family, student, working, economic and social life. The National Institute of Endocrinology (INEN, in Spanish) has dealth with these problems since it was founded giving attention to the persons with diabetes by a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach, where the social work is the link between the health team, the person and his social daily setting The objective of this paper was to determine the social problems referred to by a group of persons with diabetes admitted in the Day Center Service of the National Institute of Endocrinology in the last quarter of 2003. The method used consisted in an exploratory study. 189 individuals that received attention at the Diabetic Care Centre from October to December 2003, were surveyed. As a result, 81 (43 %) social problems were presented. The main problem was found in the working aspects (80), accounting for 98 %. They were connected with non-related jobs, difficulties to keep the diet or to follow the medical indications at work and during the shifts. 57.3 % had economic problems, which were associated with difficulties to get food and drugs on their own. 16 % had family problems that influenced on the generational relations, interference of the disease in the family dynamics and lack of concern of the family. It was concluded that the fundamental social problems observed in the group were the working ones, which were related to difficulties to have an adequate nutrition at work. The family is a source of support for the subject with diabetes; however, one of the problems detected in our study was the lack of understanding in relation to the disease.

Keywords : Diabetes mellitus; social problems; social work.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )