Analysis of the role of acculturation levels and the strength of social relationships on the behaviors of type II diabetics among individuals of Hispanic descent residing in Houston, Texas and San Ignacio, Belize

Due to the expanding waistlines of most Americans, type II diabetes is now a recurring problem that can affect anyone. As it happens, this chronic disease is more prevalent among certain ethnic groups like the Hispanic community. Due to the lifestyle, including diet and exercise, and culture of the Hispanic community, they are greatly affected by type II diabetes. Parameters such as acculturation, education, socioeconomic status, genetics, and the different types of support an individual receives, will affect their chances of exhibiting type II diabetes and their consequential life with the disease.;Social networks provide a means of information dissemination as well as a support system to cope with illness and its related stress. These networks are composed of both weak and strong ties to different types of individuals including friends, family, neighbors, and acquaintances. These networks provide the necessary information needed to access health information, especially concerning when and what doctors should be approached, as well as information that will help to prevent future disease occurrence. In the case of diabetes, especially type II diabetes, information regarding lifestyle changes, diet, exercise, and culture, will be shared among the network members. This information can then be transmitted among network members both verbally and through example. How health information is disseminated through the social network of Hispanic Americans and Belizeans and how a new health diagnosis is registered and responded to among the network members is the focus of this research.;Two study populations will be compared in regards to their demographics, social network construction, and health maintenance. Both qualitative and quantitative data will be collected and analyzed; qualitative data acquired through semi-structured interviews and quantitative data analyzed through the version 14.0 SPSS statistical package. Results from the research illustrated the importance of glucometers for health maintenance, especially for individuals with less economic stability and limited access to health professionals. Nuclear family support was the most prevalent and most important support observed among type II diabetics in both study populations.