You Can Live With It or You Can Die”: Southern Gothic Storytelling of Diabetes Management in a Rural South Carolina Town

Heny Patel, Bridget Hamilton, Anna Kell, Isabella Paras, Melissa S. Nolan, Stephen Criswell, Robin Dawson, University of South Carolina Arnold College of Public Health, Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, University of South Carolina College of Nursing, Palmetto College, University of South Carolina Lancaster

Qualitative Health Research

Published online on January 27, 2026

Abstract

Qualitative Health Research, Ahead of Print.
Nationally, diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death. The crisis deepens in South Carolina, where the state ranks sixth in adult diabetes prevalence. The burden is even greater in rural counties. Understanding storytelling themes and modalities is a ...