A Qualitative Evaluation of a Culturally Competent Diabetes Education for Hispanic/Latinos

Title: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Culturally Competent Diabetes Education for Hispanic/Latinos Objective/Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the îSi, Yo Puedo Controlar Mí Diabetes! (Yo Puedo) 5-week diabetes education program in improving self-care behaviors among Hispanic/Latinos. Methods: Seven focus groups consisting of participants enrolled in the Yo Puedo program were conducted in four Starr County, Texas community sites. With the exception of one site, all classes were divided into two focus groups of at least 6 participants. Participants were asked to share their experiences engaging in specific self-care behaviors before and after attending the course. A trained interviewer facilitated each session. Recorded responses were transcribed and a content analysis was performed. Results: Of the 43 participants, the majority were female (72.8%), Spanish speakers (97.3%), and Hispanic (96.2%). Two overarching categories were self-care behaviors and difficulties (changing lifestyle habits, accepting disease diagnosis, and financial issues). In those two themes, participants described self-care behavior improvements after completing the intervention and difficulties living with diabetes. The benefits offered by Yo Puedo were a third theme that emerged. “Not feeling alone” was a prevailing benefit shared by participants. Responses provided insight into cultural views about diabetes, dietary preferences, and issues managing this condition. Data confirmed that the program was relevant to participants' unique needs. Conclusions: Overall, participants improved diabetes self-care behaviors as the result of completing the Yo Puedo. Given these findings, this intervention has the potential to yield many health benefits among Hispanic/Latinos with diabetes.