Living in the Shadow and Light: Iranian Youths’ Responses to Diabetes-Related Stigma

摘要: This study aimed to explore the responses of Iranian young people with type 1 diabetes the diabetes-related stigma. Conventional qualitative content analysis approach guided this inquiry. Volunteered people were recruited by purposeful sampling from one endocrine and metabolism center in Isfahan 2012. Data gathering was done through 17 individual unstructured in-depth interviews and 3 focus groups. saturation achieved 33 participants. The data analyzed using analysis. All participants acknowledged stigma and responded it different ways, which categorized two main categories including living the shadow (hide seek, missing diabetes, withdrawal) moving toward light (diabetes disclosure, destruction false bubbles). The most response especially for girls live shadow of silence that can be associated negative consequences affecting management. Moving towards light, suggests is possible help type-1-diabetes achieve a normal life as much possible. It necessary plan anti-stigma programs engage them actively to reduce mitigate or prevent its impacts.