Colonial Mentality and Diabetes Self-Management in Filipino Americans

To examine the correlation between colonial mentality and diabetes self-management among Filipino Americans with T2DM.

Cross-sectional descriptive and correlational survey study.

This cross-sectional study used the Colonial Mentality Scale for Filipino Americans to measure colonial mentality and the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire to measure self-management behaviours. The online survey was administered to Filipino Americans aged 18 or older with type 2 diabetes who resided in the United States. Recruitment was conducted from 2022 to 2023 through social media and Filipino American organisations. Data from 37 participants were analysed using descriptive statistics, an independent t-test, and Pearson's r correlation.

There was a statistically negative moderate association between two manifestations of colonial mentality (internalised cultural/ethnic inferiority and cultural shame) and several diabetes self-management behaviours: glucose control, healthcare use, and overall self-management. Colonial mentality manifestations were greater in males than in females, although not statistically significant. This is the first study to empirically examine the association between colonial mentality and diabetes self-management in Filipino Americans.