Dietary behavior and type 2 diabetes care.
OBJECTIVE
To explore risk factors modification, as well as barriers and facilitators for behavioral change in Mexican type 2 diabetics and their families.


METHODS
Risk assessment and impact evaluation included measurements on anthropometrics, diet, physical activity, nutrition knowledge, and HbA(1c.) The intervention included discussion groups and promoted behavioral change on dietary risk, physical exercise, and basic diabetic knowledge of 48 urban diabetic patients and 38 relatives. The educational method consisted of cognitive reframing and situational problem solving during five meetings over an 8-month period.


RESULTS
Diabetics were older and less educated than their participating relatives (55.8+/-11 and 34.7+/-13.7 years old, and 4.5+/-3.4 and 7.8+/-3.7 years of schooling, respectively). Factors such as diet, degree of obesity, physical activity and HbA(1c), reflected that 92% of diabetic patients and 83% of their relatives were at high health risk. After the intervention, nutritional knowledge and diet-health awareness increased (p=.013 and .001 respectively); however, no significant health-risks reduction was observed.


CONCLUSIONS
Focus group analysis suggested that lack of support from family and health services, low income, neighborhood insecurity and misleading "popular knowledge" and advice are key barriers to behavioral change.


CONCLUSIONS
The study supports the understanding of constrains to health promotion campaigns and better health provider-patient interactions in Mexican population. Additionally, the study contributes to the general knowledge of ethnic socio-cultural environment influences over health care issues, primarily to diet modifications.
Albarran
Noemi B
NB
Nutrition Division, Center for Research on Food and Development, Carretera a La Victoria Km. 0.6, Colonia La Victoria, Hermosillo, Sonora 83000, Mexico.
Ballesteros
Martha N
MN
Morales
Gloria G
GG
Ortega
Maria I
MI
D000886:Anthropometry; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011203:Poverty; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin