title: Two approaches, one problem: Cultural constructions of type II diabetes in an indigenous community in Yucatán, Mexico.
abstract: The emerging epidemic of obesity and type II diabetes in Mexico has recently propelled the nation into the public health spotlight. In the state of Yucatán, the experience of diabetes is greatly impacted by two cultural constructions of disease. In this setting, elements of Yucatec Mayan health practices as well as the biomedical model affect the approach to type II diabetes. Both frameworks offer unique understandings of the etiology of diabetes and recommend different ways to manage the condition. Based on in-depth and semi-structured interviews with both community members and clinicians, the present study seeks to understand how diabetes is understood and treated in indigenous settings in rural Yucatán. We explore the context in which community members navigate between locally available healthcare options, choose one over the other, or incorporate strategies from both into their diabetes care regimens. The tension between indigenous community members and their biomedical healthcare providers, the changing food environment of this community, and the persistence of traditional gender constructions affect the management of type II diabetes and its associated symptoms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Global Health & Population, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, United States. Electronic address: sarah.frank@mail.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Frank
authors.affiliation: Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Bucknell University, 701 Moore Avenue, Lewisburg, PA 17837, United States. Electronic address: elizabeth.durden@bucknell.edu.
authors.forename: T Elizabeth
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Durden
mesh_terms: D065246:Culturally Competent Care / Q000379:methods*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008519:Medicine, Traditional / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D008800:Mexico; D009765:Obesity; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: Culturally constructed disease; Food environment; Gender constructs; Immigration; Indigenous peoples; Mexico; Type II diabetes