title: Self-perception in Iranian adolescents with diabetes: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is obvious that self-perception can play an important role in the development of self-management behaviours among adolescents with diabetes to promote their health and quality of life. This study seeks to explain self-perception in adolescents with diabetes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This qualitative study, which is of "grounded theory" type, was performed in 2013 in Ahvaz, Iran, through semi-structured interviews with ten adolescents with type 1 diabetes, two parents and a nurse, who were chosen objectively. Data analysis was performed using Strauss and Corbin 1998 method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four main theme was obtained from the analysis of data, and the consequence theme was inferred as follows: getting insight (knowledge acquisition and belief management), perceiving similarities with others (not hiding the disease, showing the illness is normal, and accepting an active role in the family), and self-care management (independent control of food and treatment regimen and understanding of capabilities to manage the future of life and manage the daily activities of life), and life satisfaction (perception of being healthy and having a normal life).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Getting insight into the disease is the most important part of perceiving similarities with others and offering self-care, which can provide a person's positive perception of himself/herself and the illness, as well as life satisfaction for their adolescent over time. These results are an operational guide for personnel providing health care services, especially diabetes specialist nurses.
authors.affiliation: Chronic Disease Care Research Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Shahnaz
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rostami
authors.affiliation: Nursing Care Research center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Parsa-Yekta
authors.affiliation: Nursing Care Research center, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Tahereh
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Najafi-Ghezeljeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zohreh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vanaki
authors.affiliation: Chronic Disease Care Research Centre, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
authors.forename: Kourosh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zarea
keywords: Adolescents with diabetes; Getting insight; Life satisfaction; Perception of being healthy; Positive self-perception