Self-Management of Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore diabetes self-management strategies and underpinnings of behaviors among Vietnamese with type 2 diabetes. Using Leventhal's illness representation model, semistructured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 23 participants, 14 women and 9 men. NVivo 8 software was used for content analysis. Data revealed that participants constructed implicit theories of the identity, causes, consequences, timeline, and controllability of diabetes, which were inconsistent with the biomedical literature. Participants labeled diabetes by their symptoms of hypo-/hyperglycemia, and they focused on the relief of these symptoms. However, the participants' focus on symptomatology undermined their use of blood glucose monitoring to manage diabetes as a majority of the participants had diabetes-related complications. Participants integrated the continuum of Eastern and Western treatment belief systems to achieve a balance to create harmony between the two systems.

Disease factors associated with spousal influence on diabetic diet: An exploratory comparison of Vietnamese American and White older adults

“…The finding that Vietnamese American spouses engaged in more frequent disregard than White spouses could reflect the idea that the diabetic diet is incompatible with some of the common dietary habits of Vietnamese Americans that include high-glucose starches (e.g. white rice; Nguyen, 2014 ). Vietnamese American spouses who do not have diabetes themselves may prefer to prepare and eat some of these commonly consumed foods ( Nguyen, 2014 ) for themselves and others family members likely in the household ( McLoyd et al, 2000 ).…”

“…white rice; Nguyen, 2014 ). Vietnamese American spouses who do not have diabetes themselves may prefer to prepare and eat some of these commonly consumed foods ( Nguyen, 2014 ) for themselves and others family members likely in the household ( McLoyd et al, 2000 ). These efforts may be reflected in the extent to which they report showing their partners that they care about or think their diabetic diet is important.…”

“…Vietnamese American female spouses may be more likely to use an emotion-focused coping strategy of preparing and offering forbidden food in response to perceiving their husband’s worries. Vietnamese American male spouses, however, may be more likely to use a problem-focused coping strategy of not tempting their partners to eat foods that they believe may lead to more health issues ( Nguyen, 2014 ). It is unclear why this same effect is not seen among White spouses, although these findings for tempting should be interpreted with caution, as only a very small proportion of variance (3%) is explained by all variables in the model, and tempting was the least frequently reported influence attempt in this study.…”

“…In addition to experiencing higher rates of diabetes and worse overall health than Whites (e.g. Sorkin et al, 2008 ), some Vietnamese Americans have beliefs about diabetes management that are inconsistent with Western culture ( Ahn et al, 2003 ; Nguyen, 2014 ). Furthermore, norms for spousal involvement may differ as a function of broad cultural differences between individuals from collectivistic and individualistic cultures ( Cross and Madson, 1997 ; Triandis, 2001 ).…”

Exploring the experiences of older Chinese adults with comorbidities including diabetes: surmounting these challenges in order to live a normal life

“…In general, Chinese people have a preference for the combined use of conventional and traditional medicines as a means of controlling disease and promoting a state of comfort, an approach that can make the treatment and decision-making process for a given patient even more complex and multidimensional. 36 , 37 Furthermore, while many elderly Asian people dislike Western medicine, they have generally come to rely upon it. At the same time, notions of expected family roles, cuisine culture, and a lack of reliable information sources and physician–patient communication can combine to pose challenges to patients’ self-management.…”