Towards a Conceptual Model of Diabetes Self-Management among Chinese Immigrants in the United States

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Bin Zeng³  Wenjie Sun⁴  Rebecca A. Gary²  Changwei Li¹ 

[1] School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA; E-Mail:;Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; E-Mail:;Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu 610072, China; E-Mail:;School of Food Science, Guangdong Pharmaceutical University, Zhongshan 528458, China; E-Mail:

关键词: Chinese immigrants;    diabetes self-management;    transcultural health;    conceptual model;    type 2 diabetes;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph110706727

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Background: Chinese immigrants have been disproportionally affected by type 2 diabetes. This paper presents the state of science regarding the factors that may influence diabetes self-management among Chinese immigrants in the US and the potential health outcomes. Design: Using Walker and Avant’s techniques, a search of the literature was conducted from CINAHL, PubMed, OVID, and Web of Science. Findings: Factors most relevant to diabetes self-management were grouped under five categories: socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral and psychological characteristics, social support, linguistic barriers, and cultural characteristics. Potential outcomes derived from improved diabetes self-management include quality of life, glycosylated hemoglobin, and blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors. Discussion: A conceptual model was provided to guide future research. Based on the review of the literature, specific research topics that need to fill the gaps in the literature were provided, including family-focused interventions for Chinese immigrant patients with diabetes and the effectiveness of these interventions to improve family functioning.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.