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Coping with type 2 diabetes: do race and gender matter?
Vaughn A DeCoster1, Sherry Cummings
1University of Tennessee-College of Social Work, USA. vdecost@uark.edu
Social Work in Health Care
|March 19, 2005
Summary
Adults with type 2 diabetes utilize diverse coping strategies. Problem-focused coping is linked to better self-management, while emotion-focused coping correlates with poorer diabetic control, influenced by race and gender.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Psychology
- Sociology
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes management requires effective coping mechanisms.
- Understanding psychosocial factors influencing self-care is crucial for patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify coping methods in adults with type 2 diabetes.
- To examine the influence of race and gender on coping styles.
- To analyze the relationship between coping strategies and diabetic control.
Main Methods:
- Mixed-methods approach utilizing in-depth interviews.
- 34 adults (African-American and white, male and female) participated.
- Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and analyzed for coping strategies.
Main Results:
- 40 distinct coping methods were identified.
- Whites used more problem-focused coping than African-Americans; males used more problem-focused coping than females.
- Emotion-focused coping was associated with poorer self-assessed diabetic control, whereas problem-focused coping was linked to better control.
Conclusions:
- Coping styles in type 2 diabetes are influenced by race and gender.
- The problem-focused/emotion-focused coping dichotomy is a useful classification system.
- Psychosocial coping significantly impacts diabetes management, requiring clinical attention.