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Table 2 Examples of coding and categorizing, theme “Concerns about the future”

From: “I have got diabetes!” – interviews of patients newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes

Meaning units

Code

Category

It would be unfortunate if my sight was affected because I can only see in one eye as it is today […] if that gets worse I’ll be blind in practice. I read quite a lot, so if my sight deteriorates even more it would mean a much much worse life […] I have devoted much of my activity to reading, watching television, keeping informed in general […] So if the sharpness of vision got lost I would be isolated and it would be very serious if that happened (2, 3, 14)

Fear of visual impact

Functional disabilities

What I worry about, I suppose […] my heart, I that think it has had to work rather hard and maybe it will give up some day […] if it’s damaged it’s damaged […] then I can’t influence it so much (9, 9, 5)

Fear of cardiovascular complications

Foot ulcers are troublesome […] so I wouldn’t want that, and I don’t want to go blind either […] but foot ulcers are probably what I’m most afraid of, well, not afraid, but I don’t want them (10, 5, 20)

Fear of foot complications

The only thing that worries me was that I would have to stop flying (1, 3, 26)

Fear of not being able to perform leisure activity