Other Titles

Diabetic Management and Health Promotion

Abstract

Session presented on Sunday, July 27, 2014:

Purpose: Diabetes, a worldwide public health concern, has been linked with lower socioeconomic status, obesity, poor nutrition, membership in certain racial and/or ethnic groups, and family history of diabetes - factors often present in both urban and rural regions. Researchers are finding that greater knowledge of the relationship between social determinants of health and diabetes may provide insight into individuals' health outcomes related to diabetes. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the social determinants of health as they relate to diabetes self-management in a rural United States population.

Methods: This qualitative analysis is part of a study to gain insight into the individual's perspective on living with diabetes given the social determinants of her/his situation. Recruitment of 10 adults was accomplished through key community contacts, local physicians, and posted flyers. Participants were both male (n=6) and female (n=4), on average 46.5 years of age, and had been diagnosed with diabetes for about 11 months (range 2-18 months). For purposes of this study, qualitative data were collected from digitally-recorded sessions and then analyzed using constant comparison and procedures to avoid bias. Identified themes were extracted to provide insight into individuals' perspectives of living with diabetes.

Results: Data analysis revealed three major themes related to the influence of the social determinants of health on the individual's perspective on living with diabetes: (1) importance of work; 2) importance of social connectivity/support; and (3) importance of family and sense of place in self-definition.

Conclusion: Diabetes is a nationwide public health concern in the United States; however, individuals in rural communities often face unique barriers or challenges. Results of this qualitative study offer healthcare providers helpful insight about facilitators and barriers to living with diabetes among a sample of rural residents from Southern Appalachia, United States. Findings illustrate the influence of external or upstream social determinants on the individual's health. Further research to determine the influence of social determinants on diabetes self-management will help to improve individuals' health outcomes.

Author Details

Myra Leslie Clark, PhD, RN, NP-C

Sigma Membership

Beta Kappa

Lead Author Affiliation

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

N/A

Research Approach

N/A

Keywords:

Diabetes Mellitus, Social Determinants, Health Disparities

Conference Name

25th International Nursing Research Congress

Conference Host

Sigma Theta Tau International

Conference Location

Hong Kong

Conference Year

2014

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Share

COinS
 

The influence of the social determinants of health on diabetes self-management in rural Appalachia

Hong Kong

Session presented on Sunday, July 27, 2014:

Purpose: Diabetes, a worldwide public health concern, has been linked with lower socioeconomic status, obesity, poor nutrition, membership in certain racial and/or ethnic groups, and family history of diabetes - factors often present in both urban and rural regions. Researchers are finding that greater knowledge of the relationship between social determinants of health and diabetes may provide insight into individuals' health outcomes related to diabetes. The purpose of this descriptive phenomenological study was to explore the social determinants of health as they relate to diabetes self-management in a rural United States population.

Methods: This qualitative analysis is part of a study to gain insight into the individual's perspective on living with diabetes given the social determinants of her/his situation. Recruitment of 10 adults was accomplished through key community contacts, local physicians, and posted flyers. Participants were both male (n=6) and female (n=4), on average 46.5 years of age, and had been diagnosed with diabetes for about 11 months (range 2-18 months). For purposes of this study, qualitative data were collected from digitally-recorded sessions and then analyzed using constant comparison and procedures to avoid bias. Identified themes were extracted to provide insight into individuals' perspectives of living with diabetes.

Results: Data analysis revealed three major themes related to the influence of the social determinants of health on the individual's perspective on living with diabetes: (1) importance of work; 2) importance of social connectivity/support; and (3) importance of family and sense of place in self-definition.

Conclusion: Diabetes is a nationwide public health concern in the United States; however, individuals in rural communities often face unique barriers or challenges. Results of this qualitative study offer healthcare providers helpful insight about facilitators and barriers to living with diabetes among a sample of rural residents from Southern Appalachia, United States. Findings illustrate the influence of external or upstream social determinants on the individual's health. Further research to determine the influence of social determinants on diabetes self-management will help to improve individuals' health outcomes.