Living with diabetes: The holistic experiences of Nigerians and African Americans.

The purpose of this study was to understand the holistic and transcultural experience of living with, and growing old with, diabetes for Nigerians and for African Americans. In this study, 5 themes were identified and described; however, 2 drives-fear and living-were the main coping strategies that participants used to balance their life holistically. The results show that in the face of their fears, subjects from both cultures never gave up their hope for living. Rather, they often sought out and used holistic and complementary approaches while maintaining their spiritual faith and hope.