title: Hierarchical clusters in families with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Families represent more than a set of individuals; family is more than a sum of its individual members. With this classification, nurses can identify the family health-illness beliefs obey family as a unit concept, and plan family inclusion into the type 2 diabetes treatment, whom is not considered in public policy, despite families share diet, exercise, and self-monitoring with a member who suffers type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study was to determine whether the characteristics, functionality, routines, and family and individual health in type 2 diabetes describes the differences and similarities between families to consider them as a unit. We performed an exploratory, descriptive hierarchical cluster analysis of 61 families using three instruments and a questionnaire, in addition to weight, height, body fat percentage, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. The analysis produced three groups of families. Wilk's lambda demonstrated statistically significant differences provided by age (Λ = 0.778, F = 2.098, p = 0.010) and family health (Λ = 0.813, F = 2.650, p = 0.023). A post hoc Tukey test coincided with the three subsets. Families with type 2 diabetes have common elements that make them similar, while sharing differences that make them unique.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Enfermería, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: García-Solano
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Enfermería, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Esther C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Gallegos-Cabriales
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Economía, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, México.
authors.forename: Marco V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Gómez-Meza
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Enfermería, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Guillermina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: García-Madrid
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Enfermería, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flores-Merlo
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Estomatología, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, México.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: García-Solano
keywords: Family as a unit; family characteristics; family composition; family health; family medicine