"Diabetes is my companion": lifestyle and self-management among good and poor control Mexican diabetic patients.
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.
de Alba Garcia
Javier Garcia
JG
Social, Epidemiological and Health Services Research Unit of IMSS, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico.
Rocha
Ana L Salcedo
AL
Lopez
Ivette
I
Baer
Roberta D
RD
Dressler
William
W
Weller
Susan C
SC
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