Medical Skepticism and Diabetes Management in African Americans

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in African Americans is a manageable disease, and self-management interventions reduce complications and hospital stays. However, in the African American population, traditional T2DM self-management interventions do not produce long-term effects on lifestyle and behavior changes. Researchers have analyzed the barriers and interventions associated with the disease, but the problem still exists. Medical skepticism may influence T2DM management and health outcomes in African Americans. However, there is scarce literature addressing the relationship between medical skepticism and health outcomes (eye and kidney problems). The purpose of the study is to assess the relationship between medical skepticism and outcomes in middle and older-aged African Americans with T2DM. Two theories and conceptual framework guided this study, including Andersen’s behavioral health model for health services (ABHM), social cognitive theory (SCT), and patient-centered culturally sensitive health care model (PC-CSHC). There were 7 research questions used to examine the association between medical skepticism and eye and kidney problems. The quantitative study utilized secondary data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey 2016 (N=415). The data were analyzed using binary logistic regression and ordinal logistic regression. The results showed no association between medical skepticism, age, eye, and kidney problems in African Americans aged 45–80. The study may contribute to positive social change by lowering both indirect and direct health care costs associated with T2DM and reduce complications, which could ultimately reduce the burden of T2DM