In Brief Views From Within and Beyond: Illness Narratives

The management and impact of type 2 diabetes on the sense of self, lifestyle, and significant others of African-American men is not well understood. This article reports on a study to examine perceptions of managing and coping with diabetes among African-American men and summarizes its findings regarding the distribution of clinical biomarkers, participants ’ perceptions of the cause of their diabetes, its impact on masculinity, use of home remedies for diabetes care, and the degree to which effective coping skills and social support are engaged and available