Ascribed Meaning of Disease Control

Abstract

Background: Contemporary treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (hereafter diabetes) heavily emphasizes “diabetes control,” largely defined by measurable blood glucose parameters. Little is known about how people living with the condition themselves define diabetes control within the lived experience of their disease. Methods: As part of a qualitative study investigating the subjective construction of diabetes, 83 in-depth interviews were conducted with African American and non-Hispanic white older adults. Using content analysis, 4237 pages of narrative data were analyzed to explore how informants conceptualized diabetes control. Findings: Four themes emerged from the data, describing varied understandings of diabetes control: (a) blood sugar regulation, (b) practicable treatment adherence, (c) bodily experience, and (d) degree of pharmaceutical need. Findings demonstrate that among persons with diabetes, the term diabetes control is multifaceted. Conclusion: While clinical guidelines have established target blood glucose parameters as the standard indicator of diabetes control, persons with diabetes conveyed varied and diverse meanings situated within personal experiences. To foster empathetic and collaborative care, health-care providers tending to this population may consider integrating the emergent themes into communicative and treatment approaches.