Determining the adaptation of individuals with hypothyroidism to their disease and their physical activity barriers

Objective: The aim of the study is to determine the adaptation of individuals with hypothyroidism to the disease and their physical activity barriers. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted as a cross-sectional research. The population of the study consisted of approximately 3,000 individuals with hypothyroidism who visited the Internal Medicine Outpatient Clinic of a district state hospital in Manisa in one year. The sample consisted of 344 individuals with hypothyroidism who visited the outpatient clinic during the study period and met the inclusion criteria. Data were collected face-to-face using an Information Form, the Chronic Disease Adjustment Scale, and the Physical Activity Barriers Scale. Ethical committee approval, institutional permission, and individual consent were obtained for the study, and the principles of the Helsinki Declaration were followed at all stages. IBM SPSS Statistics 27.00 software was used for statistical data analysis; descriptive statistics, normal distribution analysis, Mann Whitney U test, Kruskal Wallis H Test, Bonforenni Test for advanced analysis, and Spearman Correlation analysis were performed to reveal the relationship between variables. Results:The average age of individuals with hypothyroidism included in the study was 50,79±15,17 (Min-Max: 18-84 years). It was found that 89,5% of the participants were female, 90,1% were married, 57,3% had completed primary education, 42,7% had been suffering from hypothyroidism for more than 11 years, 84,9% were taking medication, and 57,3% had another chronic disease. The mean total score on the Chronic Illness Coping Scale was 71,16 ± 11,80 (Min-Max: 33-112), and the mean total score on the Physical Activity Barriers Scale was 53,80 ± 14,45 (Min-Max: 21-105). A weak negative correlation was found between the total score on the Chronic Disease Adjustment Scale and the total score on the Physical Activity Barriers Scale (r = −0,192, p < 0,001). Conclusion: Individuals with hypothyroidism show a moderate tendency in terms of their level of adaptation to chronic disease and their level of physical activity barriers. It has been determined that as physical activity barriers decrease, adaptation to chronic illness increases. In light of these findings, it is recommended that strategies targeting individual barriers and programs supporting adaptation be developed to increase the participation of individuals with hypothyroidism in physical activity. Keywords: Nursing, Hypothyroidism, Chronic Disease, Adaptation, Physical Activity, Physical Activity Barriers