Table 9 Selected quotations from individuals with diabetes and hypertension

• “To be healthy is to be perfect – no problems. But we can make ourselves healthy. It depends on what we put in our mouth.” –38 y/o F, mixed ethnicity

• “The environment causes sickness.” -40 y/o M, East Indian

• “It [sickness] is from the air. There are too many pollutions – not like before. But because of that same thing the drinking water is not proper. So they improve it a lot by putting that pump by the side of the road.” -43 y/o F, mixed ethnicity

• Sickness is caused by “what we eat and what we drink. Too much salt. Too much sweet.” -38 y/o F, mixed ethnicity

• “When I cry and cry and cry, then I eat and eat and eat – that’s why I catch the sickness.” -44 y/o F, Q’eqchi' Mayan 

• “I have a son that drowned. I said to myself I was not worrying but it was still in my mind. So from there, I have pressure.” – 64 y/o F, Garifuna