African Americans and diabetes: spiritual role of the health care provider in self-management.

How African Americans with type 2 diabetes perceive the spiritual role of health care providers (HCPs) and the effects of that role on self-management was explored using a qualitative descriptive analysis. The sample consisted of 29 African American men and women ages 40-75 with type 2 diabetes and 5 ministers of African American churches. A spiritual relationship with their health provider was important in helping participants manage their diabetes. Three typologies from a parent study were expanded with a focus in this extended study on the meaning ascribed to spiritual relationships with providers and the impact of these relationships on self-management. Care perceived as spiritual may be an important component of providing culturally sensitive health care to African Americans and may facilitate their self-management.