Experiences of Food Insecurity and Type 2 Diabetes Management in Adults.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to elucidate how food insecurity affects diabetes self-management among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Eleven persons with T2DM who screened as food insecure were recruited from a patient pool of a healthcare system in South Carolina. Interview recordings were transcribed, blinded, and imported into NVivo. Participant ages ranged from 36 to 66 years, and included nine women, and seven African American participants. Three major themes emerged: (1) coping with food insecurity; (2) strategies used to manage T2DM within the context of food insecurity; and (3) receiving unrealistic advice from providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]