Therapeutic Education for Diabetic Travellers

¹Endocrinology Department, Farhat Hached University Hospital, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia

²Internal Medicine Department, Farhat Hached University Hospital, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia

³Endocrinology Department, Ibn El Jazzar Hospital, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Kairouan, Tunisia

*Corresponding author: Thabet Maissa, Internal Medicine Department, Farhat Hached University Hospital, University of Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, Sousse, Tunisia, E-mail: [email protected]

Received Date: August 16, 2024

Publication Date: November 11, 2024

Citation: Yosra H, et al. (2024). Therapeutic Education for Diabetic Travellers. Obese. 2(1):7.

Copyright: Yosra H, et al. © (2024).

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Diabetes is a chronic disease on the rise. Therapeutic education is an essential pillar of patient care, and should be an integral part of the patient's care. It has proven benefits in terms of improving patients' quality of life and reducing healthcare costs by slowing down the onset of certain complications and reducing the need to seek care. Materials and methods: This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study on the knowledge of diabetic patients followed up in the endocrinology and internal medicine outpatient departments of the Farhat Hached University Hospital and the Sahloul University Hospital in Sousse during February and March 2024. Results: There were 100 participants, with an average age of 44.9±10.6 years and extremes ranging from 22 to 80 years. There was a slight male predominance (54%), with a sex ratio (M/F) of 1.2. The average length of diabetes was 8.8 ±7.3 years, with extremes ranging from 1 to 33 years. They were type 2 diabetics in 64% of cases. Concerning self-monitoring during the trip, the participants noted that they increased monitoring in 14% of cases, 57% continued correctly, 28% often forgot and 1% stopped monitoring. In 62% of cases, they confirmed that they always ate a balanced diet during the trip, 48% drank sufficient water and in 75% of cases, they used suitable footwear. Conclusion: Therapeutic education is a fundamental aspect of care for diabetic patients at every stage of their lives. It is an integral part of diabetes care. Nurses play a key role in the therapeutic education of diabetics, whether in the public or private sector, and in different life situations such as the Ramadan fast, sports activities, travel and pilgrimages, to ensure that diabetics are well balanced and receive better care.

Keywords: Therapeutic Education, Diabetes, Travel