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Aims: Understanding the relationship between ethnicity and self-management is important due to disparities in healthcare access, utilization, and outcomes among adults with type 2 diabetes from different ethnic groups in the US., Methods: Self-reports of self-management and interest in improving self-management from US people with diabetes (PWD) in the 2nd Diabetes Attitudes, Wishes and Needs (DAWN2) study, a multinational, multi-stakeholder survey, were analyzed, including 447 non-Hispanic White, 241 African American, 194 Hispanic American, and 173 Chinese American PWD (>18 years)., Results: Overall, self-management behavior was highest for medication taking and lowest for physical activity. Non-Hispanic Whites had lowest physical activity and highest adherence to insulin therapy. Chinese Americans had lowest foot care and highest healthy eating. Overall, interest was highest for improving healthy eating and physical activity. Chinese Americans and Hispanic Americans were more interested than non-Hispanic Whites in improving most self-management behaviors. Chinese Americans were more interested than African Americans in improving most self-management behaviors. Healthcare providers telling PWD that their A1c needs improvement was associated with lower self-rated glucose control, which was associated with higher PWD interest in improving self-management behaviors., Conclusions: Diabetes care providers should use patient-centered approaches and consider ethnicity in tailoring self-management support., (Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Diabetes mellitus has been cited by the current Secretary of Health and Human Services, Donna Shalala, as one of the most serious health problems in the African American population. This article provides background on the incidence and causes of diabetes in Blacks, reviews the problems African Americans face in the prevention and treatment of the disease, and describes the American Diabetes Association's African American program which was developed to respond to these problems. The program's overall goal is to improve the health of African Americans by raising their awareness about diabetes, its risk factors, and ways to avoid or delay the onset of the disease and its complications. This article includes discussion on how these goals will be pursued through a coordinated strategy in three key areas: coalition building, advocacy efforts, and grass roots programs.