Higher Life Expectancy for Diabetes Patients with Facebook Awareness

Abstract

Diabetes is a fatal chronic disease that grounds for many side effects, deaths, and low quality of life for millions of adults in the present globe. Continuing care and awareness of the disease helps to maintain reasonable control over the condition and prevent complications. The patient often receives such attention only at a medical clinic or doctor s visits. Hence, it is essential to identify alternatives for people aware of diabetes. Here we use Facebook as a popular social network site to create a better quality of life for diabetes awareness patients. The study was carried out on a Facebook group on 565 diabetes patients who registered in Embilipitya base hospital non-communicable disease clinic and 100 patients were selected randomly for the analysis. The majority of the patients age between 35 years and 45 years. Patients were divided into two groups randomly (50 per each); control and normal, and data were gathered. The independent t-test was used to test for differences between two groups, and a paired sample t-test was used to confirm the difference. Results revealed the positive impact of the Facebook health awareness program on controlling LDL cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, and body weight. Also, the factors have a strong relationship with the Facebook awareness program. However, there is no impact on blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) from the program. The awareness program and the number of referring times of Facebook impact significantly controlling fasting blood sugar levels, body weight, and LDL cholesterol levels. This would be better to explain to improve the quality of life of diabetes patients. Future research directions need to explore why social network awareness program does not affect the control of high blood pressure, which is another important factor in maintaining a higher life expectancy for diabetic patients.