This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Managing type 2 diabetes requires more than occasional visits to the doctor's office. Much of the work happens between appointments, making communication and support from others an important part of managing the condition.

But for Black and African American men, experiences of discrimination in health care settings may be associated with fewer conversations about their diabetes, even as they remain socially connected, according to research from Texas A&M University.

Black and African American adults are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at higher rates than non-Hispanic white adults and face higher rates of serious complications. Dr. Tyler Prochnow, associate professor in the School of Public Health, said understanding what happens after diagnosis is an important part of addressing those disparities.

In two related studies drawing on a national survey of 1,225 Black and African American men with type 2 diabetes, Prochnow and his colleagues examined how social networks relate to diabetes outcomes and how experiences of discrimination are associated with communication, mental health and self-care. The studies were published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Social Science & Medicine.

The findings suggest that diabetes-specific conversations are strongly associated with self-care behaviors, but men reporting more health care discrimination also reported talking less about their diabetes, despite communicating more frequently with people in their social networks overall.

The researchers examined whether discrimination in everyday life and discrimination in health care settings were associated with different patterns of communication.

Source link