Self-Management Decision Making of Cuban Americans With Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Purpose: Although researchers have studied how individuals manage type 2 diabetes, none have examined how Cuban Americans do so. This article explores how Cuban Americans make self-management choices and examines whether an empowerment framework is viable for informing interventions. Design: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted (n = 20) with Cuban Americans with type 2 diabetes. Individual interviews were analyzed with content analysis. Results: Motivation and temporal factors, such as knowledge of symptoms and the ability to plan ahead, positively affect self-management. Cultural factors, such as access to cultural foods, negatively affect self-management. Empowerment formed a comprehensive lens through which self-management decisions were acted on. Conclusion: Given the cultural context, empowerment and unique barriers and facilitators can affect diabetes self-management in this population. Strategies to promote healthy decisions must take into account the strengths of this community as well as its challenges.