School of Health and Caring Sciences, Linnaeus University, Växjö, S-351 95 Växjö, Sweden.
BMC Int Health Hum Rights. 2011 Sep 26;11:11. doi: 10.1186/1472-698X-11-11.
Healthcare-seeking behaviour in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) has been investigated to a limited extent, and not in developing countries. Switches between different health sectors may interrupt glycaemic control, affecting health. The aim of the study was to explore healthcare-seeking behaviour, including use of complementary alternative medicine (CAM) and traditional healers, in Ugandans diagnosed with DM. Further, to study whether gender influenced healthcare-seeking behaviour.
This is a descriptive study with a snowball sample from a community in Uganda. Semi-structured interviews were held with 16 women and 8 men, aged 25-70. Data were analysed by qualitative content analysis.
Healthcare was mainly sought among doctors and nurses in the professional sector because of severe symptoms related to DM and/or glycaemic control. Females more often focused on follow-up of DM and chronic pain in joints, while males described fewer problems. Among those who felt that healthcare had failed, most had turned to traditional healers in the folk sector for prescription of herbs or food supplements, more so in women than men. Males more often turned to private for-profit clinics while females more often used free governmental institutions.
Healthcare was mainly sought from nurses and physicians in the professional sector and females used more free-of-charge governmental institutions. Perceived failure in health care to manage DM or related complications led many, particularly women, to seek alternative treatment from CAM practitioners in the folk sector. Living conditions, including healthcare organisation and gender, seemed to influence healthcare seeking, but further studies are needed.
糖尿病（DM）患者的就医行为已在一定程度上进行了研究，但在发展中国家尚未开展此类研究。在不同卫生部门之间转换可能会中断血糖控制，影响健康。本研究旨在探讨乌干达 DM 患者的就医行为，包括对补充替代医学（CAM）和传统医者的使用情况。此外，还研究了性别是否会影响就医行为。
这是一项在乌干达社区进行的描述性研究，采用雪球抽样法。对 16 名女性和 8 名年龄在 25-70 岁之间的男性进行了半结构化访谈。使用定性内容分析法对数据进行分析。
由于与 DM 和/或血糖控制相关的严重症状，医疗服务主要在专业部门的医生和护士中寻求。女性更多地关注 DM 的随访和关节慢性疼痛，而男性则描述的问题较少。对于那些认为医疗保健失败的人，大多数人转向民间部门的传统医者寻求草药或膳食补充剂的处方，女性比男性更多。男性更多地转向私人盈利诊所，而女性更多地使用免费的政府机构。
医疗服务主要在专业部门的护士和医生中寻求，女性更多地使用免费的政府机构。对管理 DM 或相关并发症的医疗保健失败的看法导致许多人，尤其是女性，转向民间部门的 CAM 从业者寻求替代治疗。生活条件，包括医疗保健组织和性别，似乎会影响医疗保健的寻求，但需要进一步研究。
