Perspectives of Fear as a Barrier to Self-Management in Non-Hispanic Black Men With Type 2 Diabetes. Health Educ Behav 2018 Dec;45(6):987-996
Date
04/05/2018Pubmed ID
29614881DOI
10.1177/1090198118763938Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85045074992 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 13 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Self-managing type 2 diabetes (T2D) is critical but often challenging for non-Hispanic Black (NHB) men. Fears may contribute to poor self-management; however, the evidence is sparse. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between fear and diabetes self-management in NHB men from the southern United States.
METHODS: Nineteen NHB men with T2D were recruited from barbershops and churches. Interviews were conducted using a semistructured interview guide. Transcripts were analyzed using a phenomenological approach and focused on identifying common themes describing the perceptions of fear as a barrier to self-managing T2D in the study participants.
RESULTS: More than 68% of the sample was >55 years of age, where 42% reported an annual income of ≥$100,000, 74% were married, and 26% had a college degree. Fifty-three percent expressed fear with diabetes management, while 47% reported no fears with diabetes management. Direct fears associated with self-management included the use of needles and syringes for self-monitoring and medication adherence, respectively. Indirect fears were associated with the development of adverse complications resulting in poor mental and physical quality of life. No fears were reported secondary to diabetes knowledge, perceived control, and social support.
CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of NHB men, fear was perceived by many as a direct barrier to self-management and an indirect barrier to optimal quality of life. These findings suggest the need to address the fears of NHB men when guiding treatment and developing research interventions to improve self-management skills.
Author List
Sherman LD, Williams JSAuthor
Joni Williams MD, MPH Director, Associate Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of WisconsinMESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AgedDiabetes Mellitus, Type 2
Fear
Female
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Male
Medication Adherence
Middle Aged
Perception
Qualitative Research
Self-Management
Social Support
Surveys and Questionnaires
United States
