Experiences and opinions on ramadan fasting of individuals with chronic diseases: A qualitative study

Fasting is a condition that seriously affects the management of chronic diseases, as it is a state of hunger that lasts up to 17-18 hours a day, and most of the population in our country fasts, especially during Ramadan, and they do not make medication and diet adjustments before or during fasting according to additional disease conditions. Patients with diabetes who plan to fast should consult a doctor for a situation assessment 4-8 weeks before Ramadan and these patients should undergo a risk assessment. In Ramadan, great importance should be given to patient education about possible complications that may arise, as well as ensuring the balance of calorie and fluid intake. The physician must have the necessary medical knowledge and equipment for fasting within the current medical conditions of the patient in order to be able to provide medical advice to the patient and fulfil his duty of adequate information. Studies on this subject have generally focused on diabetic patients and are relatively few in number. Family medicine is important in the follow-up and treatment of these diseases. However, there is not enough scientific data to guide and follow up chronically ill individuals who want to fast during Ramadan. For this reason, the demands of the patients cannot be adequately responded to, and even their diseases may progress during the fasting period. With this study, it is aimed to contribute to the literature by examining what individuals with chronic diseases are aware of about Ramadan fasting and their diseases and what their expectations are from physicians. Keywords: fasting, chronic disease, general practitioners, education of patients, qualitative research