Type 2 diabetes prevention and self-management among Nicaraguan ethnic minorities: findings from phase 3 of a community-based participatory research study

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore physical environmental, medical environmental, and individual factors in a sample of ethnic minority adults with or at-risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used a cross-sectional descriptive design guided by a community-based participatory research framework. Three coastal communities in the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS) of Nicaragua were sampled. Inclusion criteria were: lay adult with or at-risk for T2D, ⩾21 years of age, self-identification as Creole or Miskito, and not pregnant. Convenience sampling procedures were followed. Data were collected via objective (A1C, height, and weight) and self-report (Pan American Health Organization surveys, Diabetes Care Profile subscales, and Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form-12 (MOS SF-12) measures. Univariate and bivariate statistics were computed according to level of measurement.

Findings

The sample (N=112) was predominately comprised of Creoles (72 percent), females (78 percent), and mid-age (M=54.9, SD±16.4) adults with T2D (63 percent). For participants with T2D, A1C levels, on average, tended to be elevated (M=10.6, SD±2.5). Those with or at-risk for T2D tended to be obese with elevated body mass indices (M=31.7, SD±8.1; M=30.2, SD±6.0, respectively). For many participants, fresh vegetables (63 percent) and fruit (65 percent) were reported as ordinarily available but difficult to afford (91 and 90 percent, respectively). A majority reported that prescribed medication(s) were available without difficulty (56 percent), although most indicated difficulty in affording them (73 percent). A minority of participants with T2D reported receipt of diabetes education (46 percent). A1C levels did not significantly vary according to diabetes education received or not (M=10.9, SD±2.9; M=10.4, SD±2.5; t=−0.4, p=0.71). Participants at-risk for T2D were infrequently instructed, by a provider, to follow an exercise program (4.8 percent) or meal plan (4.8 percent) and receive diabetes education (2.38 percent). MOS SF-12 findings revealed participants with T2D (M=41.84, SD=8.9; M=37.8, SD±8.5) had significantly poorer mental and physical health quality of life relative to at-risk participants (M=45.6, SD±8.4; M=48.1, SD±9.5) (t=−2.9, p<0.01; t=−2.5, p=0.01).

Research limitations/implications

Salient physical environmental, medical environmental, and individual factors were identified in a sample of adults with or at-risk for T2D on Nicaragua’s Atlantic Coast.

Practical implications

Findings informed the development of community-based clinics to address the problem of T2D locally.

Social implications

The community-based clinics, housed in trusted church settings, provide culturally competent care for underserved ethnic minority populations with or at-risk for T2D.

Originality/value

This is the first quantitative assessment of the T2D problem among diverse ethnic groups in Nicaragua’s underserved RAAS.

Citation

Newlin Lew, K., McLean, Y., Byers, S., Taylor, H. and Cayasso, K. (2017), "Type 2 diabetes prevention and self-management among Nicaraguan ethnic minorities: findings from phase 3 of a community-based participatory research study", International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, Vol. 10 No. 1, pp. 28-42. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHRH-06-2016-0007