Using the Family Health Model (Denham, 2003), this study aimed to understand the ways family support processes and routines influence dietary patterns of individuals with type 2 diabetes. Interviews were conducted with family dyads, a person with type 2 diabetes (n ϭ 13) and a family support member (n ϭ 13). Themes emerged within three domains: (a) confronting dietary routines, (b) changing dietary routines, and (c) living with new dietary routines. Findings indicated that (a) support members intentionally provide assistance to persons with type 2 diabetes (T2DM), (b) cultural food preferences, family traditions, and intergenerational dietary patterns influence behavior changes, (c) gender influences the kinds of family support offered, and (d) awareness about dietary routines on special days appeared greater than on typical days. T2DM should be considered a family rather than an individual disease with needs for diabetes education to include family support members.

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This study explores how family members experience their lives when family breadwinners must be absent from home because of their jobs. Informed by general systems theory and contextual perspectives, we described wives' family work that supports the breadwinner role and maintains the emotional connections among family members. From our findings about how families of commercial fishermen and long-haul truckers manage their time and their paid and unpaid work, we applied their challenges and strategies to other families experiencing difficulties related to time and work involvement.

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This qualitative study investigated the experiences of forty-two rural, low-income mothers who utilized their own mothers for routine child care. A life course perspective was used to explore mothers' perceptions of their child care arrangement and the influence of the adult daughter Á older mother relational context. Results focus on the benefits and weaknesses of child care provided by grandmothers and the influence of the relationship between participants and their mothers on this care arrangement. The analysis has implications for research, support programming, and public policy.