Self-management Experience of Patient with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2

Population of people with diabetes mellitus (DM) in Indonesia are increasing every year. Indonesia ranked sixth countries for the number of adults with diabetes (20-79 years) and ranked third as the deadliest diseases, (IDF, 2017; WHO, 2016). However, little research is known regarding selfmanagement experience of people with DM type 2 in Indonesia. The purpose of this study was to explore the Self-management Experience of Patient with Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 in Indonesia. Purposive sampling, one-on-one, in-depth with semi-structural interviews were conducted to collect data. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing five participants with DM type 2. Narratives were analyzed by Colaizzi’s (1978) seven-step method. These five themes and the sub-themes were: dietary adjustment (decreasing carbohydrate intake, decreasing sweet food), using medicine to decrease blood glucose (using herbal medicine, taking oral hypoglycemic drug, injecting insulin), taking exercise (taking exercise by walking, taking light exercise to decrease blood sugar, maintaining exercise habit, taking exercise with friends), taking care of DM by oneself (Checking blood sugar by oneself, Injecting insulin by oneself, controlling eat desire) and looking for information regarding DM (getting information from nurse, getting information from google, getting information from health worker, getting information from physician). Health workers have to realize that each patient with DM can carry out selfmanagement. The difficulties were patients complaining are control desire to eat and the availability of valid information related to the way of stabilization their blood glucose through food adjustment, exercise and medication. The most important thing before the patient can perform self-management properly that the provision of basic information about the disease.