Lifestyle modification and drug administration among Thai Muslim patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 during Ramadan (การปรับเปลี่ยนพฤติกรรมและการใช้ยาในช่วงเดือนถือศีลอดของผู้ป่วยมุสลิมที่เป็นโรคเบาหวานชนิดที่ 2)

Abstract

Understand the lifestyle modification and the drug administration among Thai Muslim patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 during Ramadan. The in-depth semi-structured interview was conducted during September – November 2007. Content analysis was performed by 2 researchers independently before making the conclusion together. Total of 20 Muslim patients age between 39-77 years in Nakhon Nayok province were interviewed. It was found that most patients didn’t prepare before fasting in Ramadan month. All intended to fast every years but only one could fast strictly throughout the whole holy month each year. The patients assessed their own health while fasting by consideration of acute illness rather than their underlying DM. They didn’t think that DM had significant impact on their fasting. Moreover, they thought that fasting in Ramadan helped them control their blood sugar. There were only several pantients who thought that multiple DM drugs, especially insulin would have an effect on their fasting. Physician was the important factor which impacted on their fasting. However, none of patients had suggestion from their physicians for using drugs and adjusting lifestyle modification during Ramadan. Moreover, some were inhibited to fast or to take ritual fruit for this time. Patients adjusted drugs and dose by themselves. Many had hypoglycemic-like symptoms but not severe. In addition, all Thai Muslim patients with DM type II adjusted their lifestyles and intake of drugs by themselves during Ramadan without physician’s suggestion, which led to mild hypoglycemic-like symptoms in most patients. Therefore, we recommended that physicians working in Muslim community should be cultural-sensitive to ask and give them an advice on how to modify medical intervention which proper to Muslim life during Ramadan month.