Objective: The goal of this research was to describe the experience of eight American Indian adults who participated in the Diabetes Wellness American Indian Talking Circle research study conducted on two Northern Plains reservations. The Diabetes Wellness Talking Circle project provided education on Type 2 diabetes utilizing oral tradition, storytelling, and biomedical information. This qualitative research study was funded as a Minority Supplement to a National Institute of Nursing Research RO1, Diabetes Wellness: American Indian Talking Circles.
Design: The research design was qualitative descriptive phenomenology.
Population, Sample, Setting, Years: The research participants consisted of a purposive sample of eight Lakota and Winnebago American Indian Talking Circle participants who previously participated in a twelve session Diabetes Wellness Talking Circle. The research participants were five female and three male reservation residents, ranging in age 40-70. Of these, five identified themselves as having Type 2 diabetes. The research participants were interviewed on their reservation in a setting chosen by the participant from December 2000 through August 2001.
Concept or variable studied or intervention and outcome variables: The research question, "What are the experiences of American Indian Talking Circle participants?" was explored in one-to-one interviews conducted by the researcher.
Methods: In open-ended individual interviews, eight American Indians were asked to describe their experience of participating in the Diabetes Wellness Talking Circle. Several questions guided the interviews to elucidate a full explanation of the experience. Two of the research participants were interviewed twice and six were interviewed once. The interviews lasted one-half to one and one-half hours and were audiotaped with research participant permission. Constant comparative analysis and phenomenological data analysis techniques taken from Colaizzi (1978), van Manen (1990), and Rose (1988) were employed during data collection, data analysis, and validation of study results.
Findings: Data analysis of the transcripts revealed seven common themes. The themes are as follows: a) living with, and surrounded by, diabetes; b) exchanging emotions and feelings related to diabetes; c) receiving up-to-date information on diabetes; d) sharing experiences and stories; e) obtaining guidance from the community facilitator(s); f) harmonizing diabetes using traditional indigenous methods; and g) taking action to stabilize diabetes.
Conclusions: Findings reveal Talking Circles are effective in providing information on Type 2 diabetes through a cultural context of community sharing. Type 2 diabetes is viewed as a serious chronic disease of utmost concern in Native communities. American Indian people perceive Type 2 diabetes through a unique cultural worldview. Accordingly, solutions to address this disease and its affects will be dissimilar from customary mainstream culture.
Implications: Information gained from qualitative research studies that describe the everyday experience of American Indians related to Type 2 diabetes can provide useful insights for developing culturally appropriate diabetic care, education, and interventions. Type 2 diabetes is a relatively new chronic disease in American Indian communities that calls for the design and implementation of comprehensive, novel, culturally based education endeavors and programs that partner with the American Indian community in the planning, implementation and evaluation process. Clearly, information disseminated about Type 2 diabetes to the American Indian population must be provided through techniques that merge traditional culture and Western medicine.
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