Participants' Perspectives on Diabetes Self-Management Programming Approach at Church

• Published in: Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) Md.), 2023-11, Vol.31, p.90-90
• Main Authors: Wilmoth, Summer, Wilhite, Bradley, Highwood, Kimberly, Palacios, Christine, Carrillo-Mccracken, Leah, Parra-Medina, Deborah, Sosa, Erica, He, Meizi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Diabetes; Focus groups
• ISSN: 1930-7381; 1930-739X

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) disproportionally affects Hispanic adults in the U.S. Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) is critical to help people manage their illness and prevent complications. Providing DSMES services in community settings, such as churches, could help overcome socio-cultural and economic barriers limiting Hispanics' access to and use of traditional DSMES services in primary care settings. The Building a Healthy Temple (BHT) DSMES Program investigated the effectiveness of DSMES for panic using either a faith-placed (FP) approach, where church is used solely as the site for intervention delivery, versus a faith-based (FB) approach, in which spirituality is incorporated into the intervention. This qualitative study explored participants' perceptions on intervention approach, delivery, and content. Methods: Focus groups were conducted with participants from both the FB and FP intervention groups. Discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive content analysis was performed, and NVivo software was utilized to code and categorize emerging themes. Results: A total of 16 focus groups with 138 participants (FB churches = 9, n = 84; FP churches = 7, n = 54) were conducted. Participants in both groups highly valued the church setting for its convenient location and support system; increased knowledge of weight management and diabetes self-care; and reported improvements in bodyweight and diabetes-related health outcomes. FB participants appreciated the incorporation of spiritual teachings and facilitation by lay leaders, mentioning a sense of empowerment and improved outlook on living with diabetes. Conclusions: Church is a promising setting for DSMES program delivery in Hispanic communities. Church-based DSMES programs utilizing a FB approach may further facilitate program adoption and sustainability.