[Cultural domain of self-care in type 2 diabetes patients with and without blood glucose control in Mexico].

Objective: To analyze the main elements related with the cultural domain of self-health care in type 2 diabetes patients with and without good blood glucose control.

Methods: Descriptive study comprising diabetes patients, 57 with and 76 without good blood glucose control, with an average age of 60 years, who attended a Social Security family clinic in Mexico in 2003. A cognitive anthropology approach using free lists and a structured questionnaire was applied and a semantic model and average cultural knowledge based on six questions about their illness was developed by consensus analysis.

Results: Sociodemographic information of both groups showed significant differences. The comparison of all semantic models revealed similar structures with the exception of "What do you understand exercise is" (p<0.05). The average cultural knowledge was similar in both groups except for that related to "How family can help an adult be healthy", which was statistically higher in those patients with good blood glucose control.

Conclusions: The study findings show a different semantic structure on exercise conception between both diabetes groups studied as well as different average cultural knowledge on family support for patient's health. These findings should be taken into account in the development of education, self-care and medical care programs specific to the knowledge of type 2 diabetes patients.