Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diabetes has become a significant public health concern due to its global prevalence rate of 11.1%. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) alone accounts for 90% of all cases. The situation is worse in Africa due to the poor diagnostic systems. In Ghana, the condition affects over 2.4 million people, with the Upper East Region, which used to be one of the lowest in terms of diabetic cases, beginning to record new cases daily. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of individuals newly diagnosed with T2D on glucose monitoring and support systems availability, and motivating factors for them to continue to adhere to their glucose monitoring as a lifestyle modification measure. METHODS: A qualitative, exploratory design was employed, targeting individuals diagnosed with T2D within the 6 months preceding data collection. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit 15 participants. An in-depth face-to-face interview was conducted individually using a semi-structured interview guide. The data were transcribed and analysed using a thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: The results revealed the emergence of 3 main themes and 8 subthemes. The main themes include the implications of knowledge deficiency on glucose monitoring, social and environmental determinants of glucose monitoring, and incentives and motivational drivers shaping glucose monitoring behaviours. Some of the key findings indicate that individuals diagnosed with T2D lack knowledge, which has negative implications for their glucose monitoring practices, including the commission of avoidable errors and not disclosing information about their condition and its management to others. Their main source of support was found to be mainly from close relatives. Checking and getting improved results was motivating to them. RECOMMENDATION AND CONCLUSION: The study revealed that individuals newly diagnosed with T2D lack knowledge pertaining to glucose monitoring. They primarily receive support from close family members and are encouraged when their results improve.It is recommended that care providers and authorities intensify education on the need for regular glucose monitoring. Further studies to quantify how these experiences of lack of support and knowledge affect clients are also recommended.