Examining complex diabetes and patient illness experiences: utilizing syndemic and health capabilities approach

Abstract

Health complications often accompany complex diabetes. Compared to the biomedical model, this study uses a syndemic and health capabilities approach. The purpose of this study was to explore how social factors shape the health of those who experience complex diabetes, and the perceived challenges these individuals encountered when interacting with the healthcare system. Data collected in this study came from multiple sources including secondary data, surveys, and interviews. Findings of this study demonstrate most individuals perceived the cause of their health and psychosocial condition to be associated with genetics or lifestyle habits. A person’s health capability was often reduced by: competing aliments, social circumstances, financial insecurity, and inaccessibility to healthcare resources. Implications of this study suggest that access to social and economic resources built into the structure help shape a person’s health capability. Fundamental to the syndemic phenomenon associated with complex diabetes is the failure and insecurity of social context.