Social Environment and Self-Management Behaviors Among African-Americans Diagnosed with Type-2 Diabetes

Introduction: In the United States, 9.4% of Americans have been diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. African Americans residing in Texas have the highest prevalence rate for type-2 diabetes (16.6%). Despite the tremendous strides in type-2 diabetes management behaviors, African Americans do not achieve optimal outcomes and experience complications that result in diminished quality of life. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore the self-management practices of African Americans residing in rural and micropolitan Texas diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Methods: The pilot study conducted semi-structured interviews and photo-documentation among African Americans diagnosed with type-2 diabetes. Questions elicited descriptions for self-management behaviors with a focus on social and physical environments. Digital audio files were transcribed verbatim, and data analyzed using thematic content analysis. After each interview, quantitative data were entered into SPSS v21. Photographs documented the barriers and facilitators to self-management behaviors. Results: The study consisted of a convenience sample of 10 participants. The average age of the participants was 58.70 (S.D.=10.96) years of age with an average BMI of 34.61 kg/m2 (7.69). On average, the participants where managing 3.30 (S.D.=2.11) other health conditions. The qualitative data identified three primary themes: 1) food and nutrition, 2) sociocultural factors, and 3) neighborhood characteristics. The photo-documentation confirmed the toil of managing diabetes among the participants living in under-resourced communities. Conclusion: The findings of this study found that the social and physical environment have a significant impact on how the participants self-managed their type-2 diabetes. Recommendations to improve health outcomes for Africans Americans with type-2 diabetes would include developing infrastructure in rural areas, accessibility to quality food, educational classes for social relationships such as family members and friends, and additional educational classes for the participants on type-2 diabetes management techniques