Dr Grace Onyowo Ugboha, Dr Joshua Y. Rotshak & Gunggung Munidang Diana
Abstract
This study adopted survey design to examine the lifestyle adjustment and counselling needs of people living with diabetes in Jos Metropolis. It was guided by six research questions and one hypothesis tested at 0.05 level of significance. The population of the study comprised all people living with diabetes in Jos Metropolis. 122 males and 220 females participated in the study. They were selected through purposive and accidental sampling techniques. A 60-item instrument titled “Lifestyle Adjustment and Counselling Needs of People Living with Diabetes Questionnaire (LACNDQ)” was developed by the researchers, and used to collect data. The instrument was face validated by two experts from Educational Foundations, Faculty of Education, University of Jos. Cronbach alpha statistics was used to obtain reliability coefficient of 0.76 index using 20 diabetes patients outside the study area. The finding of the study revealed the lifestyle changes and counselling needs of the people living with diabetes in Jos Metropolis, and that gender is not a significant factor on their counselling needs. It was therefore recommended among others that government and NGOs should establish functional counselling centres in all communities for the provision of appropriate counselling services.