Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #112163

Diamantina Freeberg, EdD, Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas at Brownsville, 80 Fort Brown, Brownsville, TX 78520, 956 544 8869, Diamond.Freeberg@utb.edu and Belinda M. Reininger, DrPH, Regional Campus at Brownsville, University of Texas- Houston School of Public Health, 1200 Herman Pressler Drive, Houston, TX 77030.

Understanding locally prominent cultural beliefs regarding health by health professionals is an important factor in providing effective treatment and in the design of prevention programs. Hispanics' beliefs about the disease process and adherence to treatment options regarding diabetes are particularly important to understand because of the high rate of the disease among this population. Nine focus groups were conducted with Hispanic men and women on both sides of the Texas-Mexico border. The participants in these groups lived in rural areas, colonias, and in the cities of Brownsville, TX and Matamoros, Mexico. The groups were asked to discuss their attitudes and perceptions of diabetes and prescribed treatments. The focus group data was transcribed and a theme analysis was conducted using ATLASti5.0. Results indicate that while the participants know treatment types that are prescribed for diabetes, fear regarding insulin and what they have heard from others about side effects (possible death, addiction, and blindness)keep them from completely adhering to their treatment plan. These results showed the need for increasing cultural competency among health professionals, who may be able to promote customized health information among their patients by dispelling their fears and myths.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will learn and understand cultural beliefs among Hispanics regarding diabetes and its treatment
• Participants will learn techniques that will help them dispel the fears and myths currently held by their patients

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Diabetes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.