Perceptions of psychosocial and interpersonal factors affecting self-management behaviors among African Americans...

African Americans are more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes and have diabetes complications as compared to non-Hispanic Whites, but have lesser medication adherence and poorer self-management behaviors. Interventions to improve self-management behaviors may not be successful if psychosocial and interpersonal factors of African Americans are not addressed.

The study objective was to qualitatively explore perceptions of African Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) regarding self-management behaviors and understand the effect of psychosocial and interpersonal factors on behavior change.

Adults with T2DM who self-identified as African American/Black were selected from a cohort participating in a mixed-methods study in a midwestern state. The data collection and analysis were guided by the Integrated Theory of Behavior Change. Ten semi-structured, 60-min, theory-based interviews were conducted and content analysis was utilized to identify themes. Themes were then categorized based on theoretical domains.

The sample was mostly female, an average of 52 years old, and had a high school education or more. Four themes were identified. Two themes were categorized as psychosocial factors: 1) attitude and beliefs regarding diabetes and 2) sociocultural influences on self-management, while two were interpersonal factors: 3) role of family and social support and 4) relationships with healthcare professionals. Themes connected back to the theory and directly affected self-management behaviors.

Future research should focus on incorporating these themes when designing interventions that improve T2DM self-management behaviors and outcomes in African Americans. Health care professionals should emphasize individualized and culturally appropriate T2DM education and counseling.