Journal of Qualitative Research in Health Sciences
Journal of Qualitative Research in Health Sciences

Ambulatory Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients’ Experience of Severe Hypoglycemia Events. A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study in Bali, Indonesia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Made Krisna Adi Jaya 1
Fita Rahmawati 2
Nanang Munif Yasin 2
Zullies Ikawati 2

1 Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Math and Science, Universitas Udayana, Bali, Indonesia

2 Faculty of Pharmacy, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

10.34172/jqr.1504
Abstract
Introduction: Hypoglycemia is a significant challenge in the treatment of diabetic patients, so a deep understanding of this phenomenon is crucial. This study aimed to develop a theoretical framework related to variables that induce hypoglycemia in ambulatory T2DM patients based on their experience, including signs and symptoms that appear and their perception of the hypoglycemia event.
Methods: The participants in this qualitative grounded theory study were ambulatory T2DM patients who were living in Bali Province in 2024. The patients were selected using purposive sampling. The data were collected using individual interviews. The collected data were analyzed using Qualitative Data Analysis (QDA) Miner Lite from Provalis Research.
Results: Patients shared their experiences with severe hypoglycemia. According to them, the factors that induce hypoglycemia were divided into four themes, namely, low nutrient intake, medication-related, lifestyle-related, and comorbid-related hypoglycemia. Patients have an incorrect or partial perception of hypoglycemia events. The phenomenon of patients experiencing hypoglycemia events indicates that they were at risk of experiencing recurrent severe hypoglycemia in the future.
Conclusion: Factors that potentially affected hypoglycemic symptoms were extracted in this study: Ambulatory diabetes medication, inadequate dietary consumption during diabetes management, detrimental lifestyle choices, and diabetes-related comorbidities. Health workers are required to carry out promotive and preventive efforts to prevent hypoglycemia in outpatients.

Keywords

Grounded Theory
Qualitative research
Hypoglycemia
Diabetes mellitus
Metabolic Diseases
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Journal of Qualitative Research in Health Sciences
Volume 15
Pages 1-8

  • Receive Date 09 November 2025
  • Revise Date 28 November 2025
  • Accept Date 10 December 2025

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