Table 4.

Preferred content and format of diabetes programs

Category	Themes	Example quotation
Information	Causes and risks of diabetes Prevention of diabetes Complications of diabetes Comorbidities of diabetes Nutrition	I think to understand how it affects us because unfortunately, many of us still don’t understand how it affects us, we take it lightly. I’m talking in general terms, that many people … Right? They take it very lightly and the consequences are serious, and people don’t really realize that it is not just one disease, but that it is linked to many other diseases I think the food is the big struggle from 1 day to another … I do feel that I’m ignorant at this subject. But I hear some people say: oh you can eat this but you can’t eat that and then I hear other people say … you could eat this but you got to eat it this way and … I just don’t know
Skills	Exercise Cooking Emotional coping Stress management Self-empowerment	I think it would be useful in our community one about cooking so we could learn to cook our favorite dishes that we like, but in a healthier manner. Because it is not that easy to switch from “sopes” to eating fish that we are not used to at dinner. So, in what ways our food can be healthier, I would like a cooking program I think it’s a good idea, specially, you know, just using the word empowerment …. So, in other words … it’s under control of the person not of the doctor. So, in other words, it’s not like ok, well, I need to wait till the doctor tells me what I have to do. Here with empowerment and going to these classes, they are now putting it in your hands, so you’re the one who controls how your diabetes is. It’s either diabetes is gonna control you or you’re gonna control your diabetes
Interaction	Family involvement Learning from shared experiences	A program would help us in simply to get out of the house, walk, and make new friends, right? Because we arrive and besides being home, just laying down For example, I think it’s pretty neat to share recipes, right? That we are sick and say “Look, I eat this. I cook like this …” That is perfect; teach each other how we cook, and how to eat I think it’s good for them [family] to come just to be a support to you, I mean, this is why I am here, it’s just to kind of understand my father a little and too, you know, and it’s also because, you know, 1 day, I don’t know, maybe I will get diabetes and at least I’ll know what to do when it comes. But for right now, it’s a support for my father. I’m trying to help understand him and I think families need to come and, you know, just to support you as well
Tailored to population	Church-based Culturally tailored Age-appropriate Medical professional or trained peer Participatory Comprehensive	I would like them [diabetes programs] here at church. Yes, me too. At church, so that the community can participate At their level, because if someone is going to come here speaking big words, they are not going to understand well. But if someone from their level could come to their level, and tell them this and that, I think that will be good The only thing is that I think that if you have more people and they have different ideas [on a diabetes education class], we should get together with them some day and talk amongst us to see which is the, which idea we all, all of us share our ideas