Facilitated Stories for Change: Digital Storytelling as a Tool for Engagement in Facilitated Discussion for Reduction of Diabetes-Related Health Disparities Among Rural Latino Patients With Diabetes
Journal of Transcultural Nursing SAGE 2020
A group-based digital storytelling program was tested with Latino adults living in rural Minnesota to support better management of type 2 diabetes. Participants watched a 12-minute video featuring personal stories from others in their community who live with diabetes, followed by a guided discussion. The intervention was designed to be culturally relevant and grounded in narrative and social cognitive theory. Participants reported feeling more motivated and confident about managing their diabetes after the session. They connected deeply with the storytellers and each other, sharing similar challenges and learning from one another’s experiences.
The format encouraged reflection, emotional engagement, and peer support, which helped reinforce key messages about healthy behaviors like medication adherence, diet, and exercise. Participants appreciated the opportunity to talk openly and suggested involving family members in future sessions to strengthen support at home. The intervention was rated highly for usefulness and interest, and all participants said they would recommend it to others. These findings suggest that combining storytelling with group discussion can be a powerful, scalable way to promote culturally congruent care and improve diabetes self-management in underserved communities.