All of That Causes Me Stress: An Exploration of the Sources of Stress Experienced by Latinxs Living with Prediabetes

• Published in: Journal of Latina/o psychology Vol. 9; no. 3; p. 204
• Main Authors: Wallace, Deshira D, Lytle, Leslie A, Albrecht, Sandra, Barrington, Clare
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.08.2021
• Subjects: stress; qualitative study; Latinx immigrants; chronic disease; prediabetes
• ISSN: 2163-0070
• DOI: 10.1037/lat0000168

Latinxs immigrants in the United States experience sources of stress (i.e., stressors) that can limit their ability to engage in healthy behaviors. Stress has been linked to increased type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk in Latinxs living with prediabetes, a group disproportionately affected by T2D. The purpose of this qualitative study is to describe and contextualize the variety of stressors experienced by Latinxs immigrants diagnosed with prediabetes. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted from March to September 2018 with 20 Latinx immigrants living with prediabetes in North Carolina. We used qualitative content analysis including systematic coding and comparative matrices. The most prominent stressors were those related to health status and healthcare access, finances, interpersonal relationships with family, and loneliness. Participants also identified stressors related to documentation status and discrimination. The stressors Latinx immigrants with prediabetes experience vary, therefore studies and interventions need to specify which sources of stress they are addressing. Multilevel interventions that ameliorate the effects of stressors may facilitate preventive health behaviors among Latinxs with prediabetes.