A discussion paper on stigmatizing features of diabetes.
Samereh Abdoli, Mehri Doosti Irani, Lynda R Hardy and 1 others
PMID 29599986WHAT IT FOUND
People with diabetes described stigma as being seen as sick, dying soon, unsuitable for marriage, self-inflicting, contagious, diet-restricted, or a drug abuser, especially when injecting insulin or managing daily care.
Key findings
01The review analysed 18 qualitative studies and reported that people with diabetes were stigmatized as sick and disabled, a death reminder, a rejected marriage candidate, self-inflicting, contagious, requiring dietary modification, or a drunk or drug abuser.
02Insulin injection was described as a stigma trigger, with participants worried about or having been mistaken for a drug abuser, particularly when injecting in public or using a vial and syringe.
03The paper reported that stigma may preclude diabetes management, adherence, multiple daily injections, health-seeking behaviours, and insulin injection in unsanitary places.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The paper describes itself as a narrative review and says manuscripts were chosen at the authors' discretion from selected electronic databases. Only qualitative studies were included, so it reports experiences and perceptions rather than measured effects. The review covers manuscripts published between 2007 and 2017. The supplied text does not give a total participant count across the included studies.
Declared interests
The authors state no conflict of interest. No funding statement is provided in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this review as evidence that reducing stigma improves diabetes control or self-management. It synthesises qualitative studies describing stigma, not an intervention with measured outcomes.