title: "Diabetes is my companion": lifestyle and self-management among good and poor control Mexican diabetic patients.
abstract: This paper identifies naturally occurring lifestyle and self-care practices in managing type 2 diabetes mellitus that are associated with good glycemic control. In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted in Guadalajara, Mexico, with 31 matched pairs of good and poor control diabetic patients (n=62), who were matched on their duration of disease and use of medications. While many themes were listed by both groups, a comparison of the responses indicated that themes of daily exercise with a preference for walking, eating beef and milk rather than chicken and fish, economic issues, and emotional issues distinguished poor-control patients. Good-control patients were more likely to have a negative reaction to their initial diagnosis, take a more comprehensive approach to control, eat only two meals a day (plus snacks), use noncaloric beverages to satisfy desires for more food, and know what their blood sugar levels should be.
authors: Social, Epidemiological and Health Services Research Unit of IMSS, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
authors: Javier Garcia
authors: JG
authors: de Alba Garcia
authors: Ana L Salcedo
authors: AL
authors: Rocha
authors: Ivette
authors: I
authors: Lopez
authors: Roberta D
authors: RD
authors: Baer
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Dressler
authors: Susan C
authors: SC
authors: Weller
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States