Abstract
Purpose : There are many programs to prevent diabetes mellitus (DM) in community. However, it is difficult for many persons to change their life style. It is necessary to find out how they realize and accept their health conditions and risk factors. The purpose of this study is to clarify how a person with borderline risk factors related to DM perceives and copes to the ambiguous circumstances. Method : The participants were recruited from basic health examination by Japanese local government office in 2005. The semi-structured interviews were conducted among two men and four women with hemoglobin-A_<lc> ranged 5.6-6.3% and 53-68 years old. The interview guides were demographic characteristics of participants; how to accept not diagnosis of DM but the possibility of DM; and how to cope to the ambiguous circumstances. The interview audiotapes were transcribed verbatim and analyzed data. Result : Two themes were extracted "Acceptation of own circumstances" and "Actions." "Acceptation of own circumstances" included five categories: optimistic understanding; concerns to be DM; caution about worse condition; opportunity to change a life-style; and measures corresponding to a situation. "Actions" included 13 categories such as a grasp of health condition; a study about DM; a concentrated practice for limited term; and checking own weight. Conclusion : In this study, the persons with borderline DM perceived several complicated thoughts regarding confusion from vagueness health condition, uneasiness to prospect own future health condition, and wish to health that it is no problem. When supporting people to prevent DM, nurses should care to their subjective thoughts.
