| Abstrakt: |
Type two diabetes mellitus has become a worldwide epidemic that directly or indirectly has impacted people everywhere. High incidence of diabetes in older adult Mexican-Americans poses serious, complex issues. Aim: The purpose of the study was to illuminate the cultural perspectives of highly motivated first-generation, bilingual Mexican-American older adults with T2DM, who accepted the activity and occupational demands and chose to follow the diabetes self-care regimen. Method: Emergent themes were extracted from focus groups using a phenomenological approach. Results: Themes were (1) 'We had reasons'; (2) 'Everyone had a different learning curve.'; (3) 'Cultural issues made changing lifestyle difficult'; (4) and 'Sharing helps us.' Conclusions: The inquiry revealed the shared perceptions and cultural nuances that may challenge Mexican-American people with diabetes, who try to adapt to lifestyle changes and occupational demands. Culturally-sensitive activity-based interventions that might facilitate self-care mastery were suggested. Future research is needed to facilitate OT reimbursement for self-care at the secondary prevention level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
