Assessing the Relationship Between Diabetes Causation Beliefs, Diabetes Risk, and Intent to Engage in Healthy Lifestyles Among Mexican American Men
Abstract
Background: The Hispanic population is the largest growing ethnic group and is estimated to reach 27% of the US population by 2050. Compared to non-Hispanic groups and other racial/ethnic minority groups they have the highest diabetes related mortality rate. Income, education, and health insurance put the Hispanic population at greater risk for diabetes, diabetes related complications, and diabetes mortality. Objectives: The objective of this research is to: 1) identify which diabetes causation beliefs (i.e., biological, psychological, socioenvironmental, behavior, fatalistic) are the most common among Hispanic men; 2) examine the relationship between men’s diabetes causation belief and diabetes risk (HbA1c); and 3) examine the association between diabetes causation beliefs and men’s intent to follow healthy lifestyle behaviors after being presented with a hypothetical diabetes diagnoses. Hypothesis: This research proposes that men who endorse a biological diabetes causation belief (i.e. genetics, hereditary, aging) will be more likely to have an increased risk of diabetes and will be less likely to report an intent to follow a doctor’s recommendation. This may be due to the belief that genetics, hereditary, and aging are biological and non-modifiable compared to behavioral causes such as eating habits and smoking, thus leading to a perception that no behavior change is beneficial. Method: Data come from a cross-sectional study of 100 adult men residing in El Paso, Texas in 2018. To identify the most endorsed men’s diabetes causation beliefs, rank order statistical analysis of the IPQ-R survey was conducted. Separate linear regressions were conducted to examine: a) the association between men’s diabetes causation belief and diabetes risk (HbA1c); and b) the association between diabetes causation belief and participant’s intent to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors. Results: 1) Behavioral and Psychological diabetes causation health beliefs were the top two most endorsed by men with diabetes; Behavioral and Biological causation health beliefs were the top two endorsed by men without diabetes. 2) Six linear regression analyses were conducted with each of the health belief independent variables on HbA1c variables as a dependent variable. After controlling for age, income, health insurance, education, and diabetes status, each linear regression model was statistically significant. Similarly, six linear regression analyses were conducted with each health belief variable and intent to engage in a healthy lifestyle. After controlling for age, income, health insurance, education, and diabetes status, each linear regression model was statistically significant. 3) Results of the linear regression did not show a statistically significant association between the independent variables and intent to follow doctor recommendations. Conclusion: Alone, each diabetes causation heath belief was not associated with HbA1c levels, intent to follow doctor recommendations, and intent to follow healthy lifestyles. However, the linear regression models indicated that diabetes causation beliefs may be associated with glucose management and men’s engagement in health behaviors. However, it is possible that low R-square values suggests a type 1 error, where statistical significance is reported when there may be none. Recommendation: Understanding the relationship between diabetes causation beliefs and diabetes risk could aid health care providers in understanding factors that facilitate men’s engagement in lifestyle modification via diabetes management programs. Moreover, asking men about their diabetes causation beliefs can assist health providers in understanding men’s readiness for change/engagement in lifestyle behavioral modification.Keywords: diabetes causation beliefs, adult men, Hispanics
Subject Area
Public health|Gender studies|Endocrinology|Hispanic American studies
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez Alcantar, Brisa Evet, "Assessing the Relationship Between Diabetes Causation Beliefs, Diabetes Risk, and Intent to Engage in Healthy Lifestyles Among Mexican American Men" (2020). ETD Collection for University of Texas, El Paso. AAI28262203.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/dissertations/AAI28262203