Date of Conferral

2018

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

Shari Jorissen

Abstract

The ongoing increase in Type 2 diabetes among Hispanic Americans challenges the American public health system, particularly with health issues arising from not following appropriate health directives for the disease. This quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study used primary data to assess the relationship between diabetes knowledge (as measured by the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire), health literacy level (as measured by the Short Assessment of Health Literacy-Spanish and English), education level, self-efficacy (as measured by the Diabetes Self-efficacy questionnaire), and self-reported diabetes self-care behaviors (as measured by the Summary of Diabetes Self-care Activities) among a sample of Hispanic Americans with Type 2 diabetes. A combination of the Orem's Theory of self-care and the Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) guided this study. The sample included 96 diabetic Hispanic Americans aged 18 and older residing in Fairfax County, VA. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a statistically significant relationship between diabetes knowledge, education level, health literacy, self-efficacy, and self-reported diabetes self-care behaviors. The score of the self-reported diabetes self-care behaviors was related at statistically significant levels to the score of diabetes knowledge (rs = 0.5230, p = 0.00), to the score of education level (rs = 0.2831, p = 0.01), to the score of health literacy level (rs = 0.6332, p = 0.00), and to the score of self-efficacy (rs = 0.7783, p = 0.00). The results of this research study could contribute to positive social change by providing the public health workforce in Fairfax County, VA with insights for developing culturally sensitive education programs that best fit the needs of Hispanics and fight against Type 2 diabetes.

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