TY - JOUR
T1 - Making sense of diabetes
T2 - Cultural models, gender and individual adjustment to Type 2 diabetes in a Mexican community
AU - Daniulaityte, Raminta
N1 - Funding Information:
First of all I wish to thank the study participants whose cooperation has made this project possible. I want to acknowledge Dr. W.W. Dressler, Dr. K.S. Oths, Dr. J.E. Garcı́a de Alba Garcı́a, and Dr. Robert G. Carlson for their support, guidance and valuable comments. I want to thank the people at the Social Science, Epidemiology and Health Service Research Unit (UISESS) in Guadalajara, Mexico for support in conducting this research project. This research was partially supported by the University of Alabama Graduate School Dissertation Research Fellowship and Capstone International Alumni Affairs Research Scholarship.
PY - 2004/11
Y1 - 2004/11
N2 - This study was conducted among Type 2 diabetes patients attending Social Security clinics in Guadalajara, Mexico. The goals were to describe cultural models of diabetes causation, assess gender-related differences, and analyze the relationship between cultural knowledge and the status of diabetes control. In the first stage, open-ended interviews were conducted with 28 participants. On the basis of the themes elicited, a series of scenarios describing the causes of diabetes were constructed. In the second stage of the study, 46 individuals were asked to rate each of the scenarios on a 3-point scale. A cultural consensus model was used to analyze the scenario interviews to evaluate the level of cultural sharing, estimate each individual's level of cultural knowledge, and validate cultural themes about the causes of diabetes. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between cultural knowledge and the status of diabetes control. The results demonstrated that participants shared a single cultural model of diabetes causality that emphasized emotional and environmental explanations of diabetes. Women shared more knowledge than men. Better diabetes control was related to a higher level of cultural knowledge. The results suggest that diabetes prevention and care efforts should include community participation. It is important to increase male participation in health care. Psychological assistance and stress management education should become a part of health care services for individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
AB - This study was conducted among Type 2 diabetes patients attending Social Security clinics in Guadalajara, Mexico. The goals were to describe cultural models of diabetes causation, assess gender-related differences, and analyze the relationship between cultural knowledge and the status of diabetes control. In the first stage, open-ended interviews were conducted with 28 participants. On the basis of the themes elicited, a series of scenarios describing the causes of diabetes were constructed. In the second stage of the study, 46 individuals were asked to rate each of the scenarios on a 3-point scale. A cultural consensus model was used to analyze the scenario interviews to evaluate the level of cultural sharing, estimate each individual's level of cultural knowledge, and validate cultural themes about the causes of diabetes. Multiple regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between cultural knowledge and the status of diabetes control. The results demonstrated that participants shared a single cultural model of diabetes causality that emphasized emotional and environmental explanations of diabetes. Women shared more knowledge than men. Better diabetes control was related to a higher level of cultural knowledge. The results suggest that diabetes prevention and care efforts should include community participation. It is important to increase male participation in health care. Psychological assistance and stress management education should become a part of health care services for individuals with Type 2 diabetes.
KW - Cultural consensus model
KW - Cultural models
KW - Gender
KW - Mexico
KW - Qualitative and quantitative methods
KW - Type 2 diabetes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4143101399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=4143101399&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.03.001
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2004.03.001
M3 - Article
C2 - 15312924
AN - SCOPUS:4143101399
SN - 0277-9536
VL - 59
SP - 1899
EP - 1912
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
IS - 9
ER -