Abstract: Since the 1940s, American Indians (AIs) have increasingly urbanized,
moving off of reservations in large part due to federal policies of tribal
termination and relocation. Though previous AI research has largely focused
on reservation-associated challenges, many of these same challenges persist
among urban AI populations. One mutual concern is the growing prevalence
and incidence of type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). While behavioral, genetic,
and socioeconomic determinants of T2DM have been explored, much less is
known about the influence of cultural and psychosocial factors. Recent studies
suggest that the way AIs perceive diabetes may affect their health trajectory
and explain their poor prognosis. Through the use of the Illness Perception
Questionnaire, we explored this hypothesis in a pilot study of urban AI with
T2DM living in Los Angeles County. We found that the majority of participants
have a neutral perception about their diabetes: They view their condition to
be long lasting yet treatable and indicate reasonable understanding of its
symptoms and progression. We also identified “personal control,” the level
of perceived control one has over his or her disease, as a strong correlate of
overall illness perception and, thus, a potentially useful psychological metric.