Integrating Diabetes Self-Management Interventions for Mexican-Americans into the Catholic Church Setting

• Published in: Journal of religion and health 2014-02, Vol.53 (1), p.105-118
• Main Authors: Baig, Arshiya A., Locklin, Cara A., Wilkes, Abigail E., Oborski, Donna Dempsey, Acevedo, John C., Gorawara-Bhat, Rita, Quinn, Michael T., Burnet, Deborah L., Chin, Marshall H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aging; Catholic churches; Catholicism; Chicago; Churches; Clinical Psychology; Communities; Diabetes; Diabetes complications; Diabetes Mellitus - rehabilitation; Family; Female; Focus Groups; Health care costs; Hispanic Americans; Hispanics; Humans; Insurance expenses; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mexican Americans - statistics & numerical data; Middle Aged; Original Paper; Public Health; Religion and Medicine; Religious buildings; Religious Studies; Self Care - methods; Self Care - statistics & numerical data; Self help; Social Support; Studies
• ISSN: 0022-4197; 1573-6571
• DOI: 10.1007/s10943-012-9601-1

Churches provide an innovative and underutilized setting for diabetes self-management programs for Latinos. This study sought to formulate a conceptual framework for designing church-based programs that are tailored to the needs of the Latino community and that utilize church strengths and resources. To inform this model, we conducted six focus groups with mostly Mexican-American Catholic adults with diabetes and their family members (N = 37) and found that participants were interested in church-based diabetes programs that emphasized information sharing, skills building, and social networking. Our model demonstrates that many of these requested components can be integrated into the current structure and function of the church. However, additional mechanisms to facilitate access to medical care may be necessary to support community members' diabetes care.