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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to identify two sources of knowledge on which these Buddhist nuns base their diabetes practice.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify two areas in which diabetes health behavior can be improved.
The increased rate of type 2 diabetes in Sri Lanka has prompted interventions to prevent/manage diabetes through dietary modifications and exercise. However, self-management of diabetes in a specific population such as Buddhist nuns, who depend on food donations and limit physical activity to suit a monastic code of conduct, has not been studied.
Methods:
This problem- focused descriptive ethnography studied ten diabetic Buddhist nuns in Sri Lanka through in-depth interviews and participant observation. Data analysis followed a process of immersion/ crystallization (Miller & Crabtree, 1994) in which the researcher is immersed in the data and relies on intuition or reflexivity of working the iterative steps of the research study
Results:
Nuns referred to four types of knowledge with regard to diabetes: Pre-diagnosis knowledge, knowledge from hearsay, knowledge based on medical science, and knowledge through Buddhism. Their health behavior hinged upon a subtle equilibrium between negotiation and compromise with the community, but it always happened against the backdrop of impermanence in life.
Conclusion:
Reinforcing positive health behavior in the general community seemed to be the most effective way to improve self -management of diabetes in Buddhist nuns.
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