Experiences of Adults of Mexican Origin Newly Informed of Having Hyperglycemic Values that Exceed the Threshold of Diabetes

Abstract

Hispanics are the largest minority group in the United States. They are disproportionately affected by diabetes and are twice as likely to develop diabetes then are non-Hispanic white adults. Mexican Americans are the largest subpopulation of Hispanics in the United States and one out of ten has diabetes. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore the experiences of adults of Mexican origin who were newly informed of having elevated glucose levels in the diabetes range. This qualitative inquiry was conducted by means of in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight individuals of Mexican origin who had been recently informed of having hyperglycemic values exceeding the threshold of diabetes. A modified version of Kleinman's explanatory model of illness was used to elicit the EM of high blood sugar of the study participants. Qualitative content analysis was utilized to analyze the data. Domains, categories and subcategories were elicited through the immersion and crystallization of thematic units attained through the in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Three overarching domains emerged describing the experience and perception the participants had of being newly informed of having high blood sugar: 1) EM of High Blood Sugar 2) Response to Being Informed of High Blood Sugar 3) Facilitators and Barriers to Seeking Care. The participants describe a Temporal Order of how they responded to being informed of having high blood sugar. Facilitators, barriers and gaps to seeking care was also discussed. This study provides valuable insight that can influence the development of culturally relevant interventions that may promote behavior changes to reduce blood glucose levels and promote healthy outcomes for this population.