Introduction

Accepting a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus contributes to the adher- ence to the treatment and control of the illness; however, it has been reported that men tend to have a lower acceptance of this diagnosis. Among Mexican men, in particular, this low acceptance could be related to their machismo.

Objective

To identify the relationship of machismo with the acceptance of a type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis.

Methodology

This is a transversal and correlational study. The population of interest were Mexican men diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus between 20 and 59 years registered in centers of primary attention in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. The sample was constituted of 121 participants chosen by convenience. The instruments used were the Conformity to Masculine Norms Inventory and the Acceptance Scale for DM2. The statistical analysis and the multiple linear regression model were carried out using SPSS v25.

Results

Findings suggest that men who show machismo, who have long labor shifts, and who consume large quantities of cigarettes tend not to accept a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Regarding the subdimensions of the machismo construct, homophobia was the best predictor of accepting or not a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Conclusions

Healthcare professionals should develop programs aimed at improving the acceptance attitude of a type 2 diabetes mellitus diagnosis among men, including those with machismo, in order to better manage self-care, glucose control, and also prevent complications.