Affiliation:
1. From the University of Washington, Department of Health
Services, Seattle, WA, crees@u.washington.edu
2. Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Division of Research,
Oakland, CA
3. Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care System,
Seattle, WA
Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate how social support and race/ethnicity were associated with diabetes self-care behaviors and clinical outcomes. Methods Using the cross-sectional 2005-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), the authors examined white, black, and Latino respondents who self-reported a diabetes diagnosis (n = 450), estimating the associations of social support on diabetes outcomes. The primary exposure was a social support index (0-5), which assessed the number of sources of support in one’s life. Outcomes were self-care behaviors (controlling weight, exercising, controlling fat/caloric intake, checking feet, and self-monitoring blood glucose) and intermediate clinical outcomes (hemoglobin A1C, diastolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein [LDL]). Results There were no differences in social support by race/ethnicity. The authors observed several significant race/ethnicity by social support interactions in adjusted models, controlling for age, gender, education, self-reported health, depression, functional disability, insurance status, and insulin use. Among blacks, social support was associated with controlling weight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.55, P = .03), exercising (OR = 1.38, P = .03), controlling fat/ calories (OR = 1.84, P = .03), and lower diastolic blood pressure (β = -3.07, P = .02). Among whites, social support was associated with lower LDL (β = -9.45, P = .01). No significant effects were noted for Latinos. Conclusions The relationship of social support with diabetes management differed by race/ethnicity, with the strongest findings among blacks. Social support may be influential for maintaining self-care behaviors among blacks and controlling lipid levels among whites.
Subject
Health Professions (miscellaneous),Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism