"It feels like home when you eat rice and beans": Perspectives of urban Latinos living with diabetes

Abstract

Background. Studies on Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes have largely focused on Mexican-American populations. This qualitative study explored psychosocial issues that affect diabetes self-management for Hispanic men and women of primarily Caribbean ancestry. Methods. Thirty-seven adults with diabetes in Bronx, N.Y., were recruited to seven focus groups, which were conducted in Spanish and English, audiotaped, transcribed, and subjected to qualitative analysis. Results. New themes emerged that are not well documented in the research literature for Hispanic/Latino populations with diabetes. These include the effect of diabetes on sexual health problems, perceptions about the link between depression and diabetes, intergenerational issues and their impact on participants' beliefs about diabetes, and perceptions of discrimination and discontinuity in health care. Conclusions. Findings suggest that perspectives among Hispanic/Latino populations about living with diabetes are diverse, and more research is needed. Social-cognitive theory and socio-ecological models of health may be useful to diabetes health care professionals in understanding patients' experiences with diabetes and informing the development of psychosocial and educational interventions that consider individuals and their environment.