title: Perceptions of health and their relationship to symptoms in African American women with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Diabetes mellitus is an incurable disease and a major cause of mortality and morbidity. Diabetes disproportionately affects members of minorities who suffer from higher rates of complications and greater disability (Cowie & Eberhardt, 1996). The purpose of this study was to (a) describe the symptoms of African American women with Type 2 diabetes and examine the relationship among diabetes-related symptoms; (b) document complications of diabetes and perceptions of health and functioning; and (c) examine the relationship between duration of diabetes and age at diagnosis and perceived health. A convenience sample of 75 African American women with Type 2 diabetes were interviewed. A 44-item questionnaire measured selected demographic variables, symptoms, documented complications, and their perceived relationship to diabetes. The SF-20 was used to measure perceptions of health status. Data show that African American women with Type 2 diabetes have a wide variety of symptoms and poor perceptions of their general health and physical functioning.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Nursing, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Stover
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Skelly
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holditch-Davis
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Dunn
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D015144:Southeastern United States; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*