Table 2.

Summary of Non-Hispanic Blacks and Latino Participants with Diabetes and/or Hypertension Regarding the Understanding of Their Health Conditions

Dimensions of Experiences with Diabetes and Hypertension	Views of both Non-Hispanic Black and Latino Participants
I. Prevention and understanding of conditions:
Perceptions	Initial thoughts from both groups about the word “hypertension” were suggestive of their observations that hypertension may be hereditary and is not always related to weight
Experience and existing knowledge	Both groups mentioned having other relatives with these conditions
Perception of prevalence	Both groups perceive diabetes as being very common and as presenting itself over time
Perception of cause	Both groups commonly attributed food, genetics and stress as being causes. They also mentioned traditional diets as being related and as contributors
Symptoms	Both groups viewed hypertension as not often having symptoms, yet some included double vision, headaches, and fatigue. Common diabetes symptoms thought to be thirst, blurry vision, and frequent urination
Perception of health center care	They liked the care they received at the health centers and would have liked to have had care focused on prevention of diabetes and hypertension
II. Factors affecting health condition and lifestyle:
Ethnicity	Major barriers in management of care included the custom of eating unhealthy food common in their community
Stress	A strong factor that affects their condition and lifestyle
Depression	Affects the ability to manage their conditions
Environment	There are no [external] barriers. An [internal] barrier often mentioned was that the person him/herself might be a hindrance to improving their health since they struggle to sustain health maintenance changes. Environmental stress due to safety, crime and poor conditions of neighborhoods. The fast pace of daily life also negatively affect their health
Race & language	Not a barrier for care in their health centers. There are bilingual services
Management Methods	Taking medication, eating healthy, exercise and drinking water often
Medication & Insurance	Majority had no problems receiving or paying for prescriptions
Resources & Services	Community health centers (nutritionists, podiatrists, mental health counseling, and some dental services), gym or and local pharmacies are available
III. Diet and Exercise
Diet	Attempts in changing diets to manage conditions was a major challenge
Exercise	A major challenge for participants