Abstract
Background
Racial/ethnic disparities exist in the prevalence and outcomes of diabetes and hypertension in the U.S. A better understanding of the health beliefs and experiences of non-Hispanic Blacks and Latinos with these diseases could help to improve their care outcomes.
Methods
We conducted eight focus groups stratified by participants’ race/ethnicity, with 34 non-Hispanic Blacks and Latinos receiving care for diabetes and/or hypertension in one of 7 community health centers in Boston. Focus groups were designed to determine participants’ levels of understanding about their chronic illness, assess their barriers to the management of their illness, and inquire about interventions they considered may help achieve better health outcomes.
Results
Among both groups of participants, nutrition (traditional diets), genetics and environmental stress (e.g. neighborhood crime and poor conditions) were described as primary contributors to diabetes and hypertension. Unhealthy diets were reported as being a major barrier to disease management. Participants also believed that they would benefit from attending groups on management and education for their conditions that include creative ways to adopt healthy foods that complement their ethnic diets, exercise opportunities, and advice on how to prevent disease manifestation among family members.
Conclusions
Interactive discussion groups focused on lifestyle modification and disease management should be created for patients to learn more about their diseases. Future research evaluating the effectiveness of interactive diabetes and hypertension groups that apply patient racial/ethnic traditions should be considered.
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Funding Sources
This project was supported by a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R21 HL083859-01): ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00379652
CHAMPP Participants
Advisory Committee
Eugenia Arroyo, Maxine James, Michael Lambert, Dumas Lafontant, Joanne Powell, Frieda Wosk
Center for Community Health Education Research and Service (CCHERS)
Elmer Freeman, Beverley Russell
Division of General Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
LeRoi Hicks (Principle Investigator), Chima Ndumele, John Ayanian
Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School
John Ayanian, LeRoi Hicks, Thomas Keegan, Bruce Landon, James O’Malley
Disclosures
Dr. Hicks is a Board Member of Health Resources in Action (Boston, MA) and a Scientific Advisor to Health Management Corporation. There are no other potential conflicts of interest to disclose.
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Russell, B.E., Gurrola, E., Ndumele, C.D. et al. Perspectives of Non-Hispanic Black and Latino Patients in Boston’s Urban Community Health Centers on their Experiences with Diabetes and Hypertension. J GEN INTERN MED 25, 504–509 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1278-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-010-1278-0