Men’s Experiences With Managing Type 2 Diabetes and Their Encounters With Health Professionals: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Type 2 diabetes is on the rise globally, and previous research has identified gender as one known risk factor for developing this disease. Gender has also been reported to affect patients’ experiences of managing type 2 diabetes. However, little is known of men’s specific experiences with type 2 diabetes, as research with a gendered focus has concentrated more on women’s experiences with the disease. This scoping review explores how research has addressed men’s experiences of managing type 2 diabetes and their encounters with health professionals. The review consists of an iterative process, involving six steps: identification of the research questions, identification of relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, collating and summarizing results, and consultation with external stakeholders. Through the process, 28 publications were identified, which indicate a gap in research on patients’ experiences with type 2 diabetes. The majority of the identified studies focuses on men from an ethnic minority due to their poorer health outcomes. However, a knowledge gap regarding men belonging to an ethnic or racial majority warrants further attention, as studies indicate that men who share similar social economic status face similar barriers to improving the management of type 2 diabetes. There is little discussion of how the gendered dynamics in encounters between patients and health professionals affect the management of type 2 diabetes. This review suggests a need for further research that explores how practices of masculinities, that is, the normative practices guiding men’s behavior, intersect with men’s experiences with type 2 diabetes in a broader perspective.