Diabetes Self-care among a Multiethnic Sample of Older Adults

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes constitutes a leading and increasing cause of morbidity and mortality among older adults, particularly African Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and rural dwellers. To understand diabetes self-care, an essential determinant of diabetic and overall health outcomes, 80 middle aged and older adults from these four disproportionately affected racial/ ethnic/residential groups engaged in in-depth interviews, focusing on approaches to and explanations for diabetes self-care. Certain self-care activities (medication-taking, diet, foot care) were performed regularly while others (blood glucose monitoring, exercise) were practiced less frequently. Despite research suggestions to the contrary, only one in four elders used unconventional diabetes therapies, and only one-third listed someone other than a health care provider as a primary information source. Few self-care differences emerged according to race/ ethnicity/residence, perhaps because of the influential and common circumstance of low income. Thematic analyses suggest that inadequate resources, perceived efficacy of medication, great respect for biomedical authority, and lack of familiarity with and concerns about unconventional therapies are influential in establishing these patterns of self-care. We discuss the similarity of self-care practices and perspectives irrespective of race/ethnicity/residence and the predominance of biomedical acceptability.

Life after Stroke: Coping mechanisms among African Caribbean Women

“…Schoenberg et al . () found in a multi‐ethnic sample of US adults with diabetes that respect and trust in authority of physicians was also deemed to be high as participants’ quotes were linked to conventional self‐care approaches to lifestyle modifications. It is unclear if the similarities are due to management of a chronic condition or ethnicity, and further research would need to investigate this particular area.…”

Issues that impact type-2 diabetes self-management in rural communities

“…Health disparities in the treatment and management of type‐2 diabetes occur nationwide, but rural communities are disproportionately impacted. One major reason is that rural populations tend to encompass a large proportion of ethnically diverse cultures including non‐Latino whites, Latinos, African Americans, and Native Americans (Schoenberg, Traywick, Jacobs‐Lawson, & Kart, ). Within this diversity is the use of complementary and alternative medicine options that include herbal remedies, dietary remedies, teas, and spiritual interventions.…”

Diabetes symptoms and self-management behaviors in rural older adults

“…Symptom awareness can also signal a person to implement specific health care practices [8–10]. Previous studies have reported that older individuals’ diabetes symptom interpretation may differ between age groups [11,12].…”