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I'm no superman: Understanding diabetic men, masculinity, and cardiac rehabilitation
Dale, C. Angus, Jan E. Nielsen, Lisa Seto Kramer-Kile, M. Pritlove, Cheryl Lapum, J Price, J. Marzolini, S Abramson, B Oh, P.
Dale, C.
Angus, Jan E.
Nielsen, Lisa Seto
Kramer-Kile, M.
Pritlove, Cheryl
Lapum, J
Price, J.
Marzolini, S
Abramson, B
Oh, P.
Abstract
Exercise-based cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs help patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) reduce their risk of recurrent cardiac illness, disability, and death. However, men with CHD and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) demonstrate lower attendance and completion of CR despite having a poor prognosis. Drawing on gender and masculinity theory, we report on a qualitative study of 16 Canadian diabetic men recently enrolled in CR. Major findings reflect two discursive positions men assumed to regain a sense of competency lost in illness: (a) working with the experts, or (b) rejection of biomedical knowledge. These positions underscore the varied and sometimes contradictory responses of seriously ill men to health guidance. Findings emphasize the priority given to the rehabilitation of a positive masculine identity. The analysis argues that gender, age, and employment status are powerful mechanisms of variable CR participation.
Keywords
diabetes, education, patient, gender, heart health, health care, users’ experiences, illness and disease, experiences, chronic, masculinity, men’s health, rehabilitation
Date
2015
Type
Journal article
Journal
Qualitative Health Research
Book
Volume
25
Issue
12
Page Range
1648-1661
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Education
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Education and Arts
Faculty of Health Sciences
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled