The prevalence of type II diabetes is high among African-American women but research that emphasizes black mothers and their adult daughters is rarely studied in social sciences or communication research. Though existing research addresses various domains of the mother-daughter relationship scant information addresses the significance of talk or the transmission of health information between African-American diabetic mothers and their non-diabetic adult daughters. For that reason, this dissertation investigates information sharing among a sample of African-American mothers with type II diabetes and their non-diabetic adult daughters.This study's two primary research objectives were to: 1. describe whether and how African-American type II diabetic mothers and their non-diabetic adult daughters engage in information sharing about type II diabetes; and to 2. describe whether and how the sharing of health-related communication messages shapes African-American mothers' diabetic health behavior and/or shapes adult non-diabetic daughters' diabetic-related health behavior.This study used a modified grounded theory approach, in which I concurrently collected, coded and analyzed data. While an intention behind grounded theory is to develop theory "from the ground up," I also used the Health Belief Model (HBM) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to inform research questions. I conducted 10 interviewswith members of mother-daughter dyads; two with each mother and two with each daughter. I concluded my interviews with both mother and daughter present, yielding a total of 50 interviews. Dyads were comprised of African-American type II diabetic mothers (age 45 and older) and their non-diabetic adult daughters (age 20 and older) living in New Mexico, Ohio and Kentucky.Information gathered from interviews yielded five patterns of communication used by mothers and daughters to talk about type II diabetes. The patterns encompassed the ongoing ways in which mothers' and daughters' negotiated the illness. This study described this negotiation as a unique "culture" that entailed 1) an historical knowledge of diabetes, 2) a present and personal experiences of living with diabetes and 3) an understanding of the future implication of diabetes for mothers, their adult daughters, and their entire family.This study represents the first step toward understanding the diabetic interaction between mothers and adult daughters living with a chronic illness. Results suggest that mothers and daughters are motivated to talk about diabetes, even though talk does not always address prevention in their health behaviors. This study is useful to inform practitioners of the significance of oral tradition as one mode of transmitting health care information within African-American culture and the value of integrated medical visits, particularly for diabetic mothers and their adult daughters. As well, health communication scholars can use this information to develop, test and implement innovative health education media and message strategies for families and mother-daughter dyads that address diabetic health information.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:38:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RMF.pdf: 853703 bytes, checksum: f67157994d0690f15c8b058d8fab96f3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-03-23 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / As relações interpessoais estão na base da sociedade e são fundamentais para direcionar nossos comportamentos. O relacionamento entre pais e filhos adultos, especialmente entre mãe e filha adulta, representa uma área recente e ainda pouco investigada. A literatura, ao tratar deste relacionamento complexo, usualmente apresenta uma delas como dependente e a outra como cuidadora. Entretanto, há um momento em que estas duas mulheres compartilham uma condição similar: quando ambas são adultas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar, descrever e analisar o relacionamento entre mães e suas filhas adultas destacando os aspectos que promovem os encontros e desencontros entre elas e a influência do casamento das filhas nas relações com suas mães. Na história do relacionamento entre mãe e filha observamos mudanças que promovem momentos de separação e aproximação, dependência e independência entre elas, o que sofre a influência da família. As atividades compartilhadas e o processo de comunicação, assim como a cooperação, a influência mútua e a percepção que mãe e filha adulta têm do seu relacionamento, são aspectos desses encontros e desencontros. Nesta dinâmica, mãe e filha compartilham similaridades e diferenças, apresentam comportamentos recíprocos e complementares que podem gerar conflitos cuja resolução está associada ao movimento de auto-revelação e privacidade presentes no relacionamento. Finalmente, apesar dos desencontros, mãe e filha procuram valorizar as sistuações que propiciam a manutenção da relação devido à importância da relação para ambas. / Personal relationships are at the basis of society and are fundamental to direct our behavior. The relationship between parents and adult children, particularly between mother and adult daughter, represents a recent and poorly investigated research area. The literature about this complex relationship usually presents one of them as dependent and the other as a caregiver. However, there is a moment when these two women share a similar condition: when both are adults. This work aimed at investigating, describing and analyzing the relationship between mother and their adult daughters emphasizing the aspects promoting their getting close or getting apart and the influence of the daughters' marriage in their relations with their mothers. In the history of relationship between mother and daughter we observe changes which promote instances of separation and proximity, dependece and independence between them, what is influenced by family. The shared activities and the process of communication, as well as the cooperation, mutual influence and the perception that mother and have of their relationship are related to getting close or getting apart. In this dynamics, mother and daughter share similarities and differences, apresent reciprocal and complementary behaviors wich may give rise to conflicts, whose solution is associated with self-revelation and privacy, present in the relationship. Finally, despite sometimes getting apart, mother and daughter try to emphasize the situations which keep their relationship due to its importance for both.