Spiritual beliefs and quality of life: A qualitative research about diabetic adolescent girls' perception

Spirituality is an important aspect of health of people with chronic health conditions such
as diabetes. Awareness from adolescents’ perception about life quality and its effective factors is useful for
controlling blood glucose in adolescents and causes motivation in adolescents for self care. The aim of this
study was to explore spirituality effects on life quality in diabetic adolescent girls.
Materials and Methods: A qualitative design using content analysis was applied in order to seek the
purpose. Data were collected using in-depth semi structured interviews and focus groups with participation
of 28 adolescent girls with type 1diabetes. The participants were recruited by purposeful sampling of "West
Azerbaijan Diabetes Association" members as well as some patients' referral to Urmia city hospitals
diabetes clinics.
Results: Following data analysis, participants in this study were categorized in four general groups;
people with religious attitude and satisfied from their life, people who perform religious etiquettes and
satisfied from their life, people with spiritual beliefs and adaptation with diabetes, and finally people with
spiritual beliefs and self care.
Conclusion: Spirituality is an important factor that influences on the life quality of diabetic adolescent
girls. In addition, spirituality helps adolescent girls with diabetes to cope with stressful situations and needs
to be considered in management and care from these patients