The Science of Diabetes Self-Management and Care

Glucose variability leading to suboptimal glycemic control is common among people using injection therapies. Advanced technology and new studies have identified important issues related to injection technique: needle length and gauge, body mass index, skin and subcutaneous tissue thickness, adequate resuspension of cloudy insulins, leakage, choice of injection site and rotation, pinching a skinfold, and lipohypertrophy. All these issues can affect pain and bruising, insulin absorption, and blood glucose levels. The purpose of this article is to review current and past research regarding insulin injection therapy and to provide practical, translational information regarding injection technique, teaching/learning techniques specific to insulin administration, and implications for diabetes self-management education and support.

International injection recommendations for patients with diabetes have recently been published and have identified specific recommendations for health care professionals. This article provides an evidence-based translational and practical review of the research regarding injection technique and teaching/learning theory. Diabetes educators need to reevaluate how they provide instruction for the administration of insulin and other injectable medications. Research regarding skin and subcutaneous thickness reveals that shorter needles may be appropriate for the majority of patients regardless of body mass index. Periodic reassessment of injection technique, including suspension of cloudy insulins and inspection of injection sites for lipohypertrophy, is a critical aspect of the role of the diabetes educator. An injection checklist is provided as a guide for diabetes educators.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate insulin injection technique and storage of insulin pens as reported by patients with diabetes and to compare correct pen use to initial education on injection technique, hemoglobin A1C, duration of insulin therapy, and duration of insulin pen.

Cross-sectional questionnaire orally administered to patients at a university-affiliated primary care practice. Subjects were patients with diabetes who were 18 years or older and prescribed a disposable insulin pen for at least 4 weeks. A correct usage score was calculated for each patient based on manufacturer recommendations for disposable insulin pen use. Associations were made between the correct usage score and certainty in technique, initial education, years of insulin therapy, duration of pen use, and hemoglobin A1C.

Sixty-seven patients completed the questionnaire, reporting total use of 94 insulin pens. The 3 components most often neglected by patients were priming pen needle, holding for specific count time before withdrawal of pen needle from skin, and storing an in-use pen. For three-fourths of the insulin pens being used, users did not follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper administration and storage of insulin pens. Correct usage scores were significantly higher if initial education on insulin pens was performed by a pharmacist or nurse.

The majority of patients may be ignoring or unaware of key components for consistent insulin dosing using disposable insulin pens; therefore, initial education and reeducation on correct use of disposable insulin pens by health care professionals are needed.

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between fatigue and physiological, psychological, and lifestyle phenomena in women with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in order to establish the magnitude and correlates of fatigue in women with T2DM and explore the interrelationships between fatigue and specific diabetes-related factors that may be associated with increased levels of fatigue. These factors included physiological factors (glucose control, diabetes symptoms), psychological factors (diabetes emotional distress, depressive symptoms in general), and lifestyle factors (body mass index, physical activity).

A cross-sectional, descriptive design was used. Women who reported conditions known to cause fatigue were excluded. Physiological measures included fasting blood glucose (FBG), hemoglobin A1C (A1C), glucose variability, and body mass index (BMI). Women completed questionnaires about health, fatigue levels, diabetes symptoms, diabetes emotional distress, depressive symptoms, physical activity, and current diabetes self-care practices. A subset of the women wore a Medtronic Gold CGM sensor for 3 days for assessment of glucose variability.

Eighty-three women aged 40 to 65 years with T2DM completed the study. Fatigue was significantly related to diabetes symptoms, diabetes emotional distress, depressive symptoms, higher BMI, and reduced physical activity. There was no relationship between fatigue and FBG or A1C. The strongest explanatory factors for fatigue were diabetes symptoms, depressive symptoms, and BMI, which accounted for 48% of the variance in fatigue scores. Glucose variability was not significantly associated with fatigue in these women.

Fatigue is a persistent clinical complaint among women with T2DM and may signal the presence of physiological, psychological, and lifestyle-related phenomena that could undermine diabetes health outcomes.

To explore the need for self-monitoring and self-care education in heart failure patients with diabetes (HF- DM patients) by describing cognitive and affective factors to provide guidance in developing effective self-management education.

A cross-sectional correlation design was employed using baseline patient data from a study testing a 12-week patient and family dyad intervention to improve dietary and medication-taking self-management behaviors in HF patients. Data from 116 participants recruited from metropolitan Atlanta area were used. Demographic and comorbidities, physical function, psychological distress, relationship with health care provider, self-efficacy (medication taking and low sodium diet), and behavioral outcomes (medications, dietary habits) were assessed. Descriptive statistics and a series of chi-square tests, t tests, or Mann-Whitney tests were performed to compare HF patients with and without DM.

HF-DM patients were older and heavier, had more comorbidities, and took more daily medications than HF patients. High self-efficacy on medication and low-sodium diet was reported in both groups with no significant difference. Although HF-DM patients took more daily medications than HF, both groups exhibited high HF medication-taking behaviors. The HF-DM patients consumed significantly lower total sugar than HF patients but clinically higher levels of sodium.

Diabetes educators need to be aware of potential conflicts of treatment regimens to manage 2 chronic diseases. Special and integrated diabetes self-management education programs that incorporate principles of HF self-management should be developed to improve self-management behavior in HF-DM patients.

The purpose of the study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of a diabetes self-management and education program for Chinese Americans in a support group format. The rationale for the study was to create culturally appropriate diabetes education and management programs in response to the growing diabetes prevalence among Chinese Americans. The investigators hypothesized that participants will have improved diabetes knowledge and practices, hemoglobin A1C, and social support. The study objectives were at least: 50% will have significant improvements in diabetes knowledge and practice activities, 30% of participants will have significant improvements in A1C, and 50% will report a gain in emotional support.

The program consisted of 12 90-minute diabetes education and support group sessions offered in a medical office setting. The sample included 23 Chinese Americans with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Using a single-group, pre-post test design, A1C and diabetes knowledge were assessed at baseline and 6 months. Data were collected through clinical assessments and written questionnaires.

The results indicated high attendance and statistically significant increases in glycemic control and diabetes knowledge. Statistically insignificant differences were shown in diabetes management practices. Secondary outcomes assessed participants’ perceived diabetes management and emotional and social support.

Diabetes Self-Management: A Cultural Approach (DSMCA) support group model demonstrates that a culturally tailored support group utilizing a community-based participatory research approach is an effective format to improve diabetes self-management skills among Chinese Americans. The program can be adapted for other ethnic populations. The efficacy of the intervention can be further tested in larger randomized trials.

The purpose of the study was to examine the role of diabetes and diabetes-related distress within clinician-administered depression interviews of adults with type 1 diabetes.

This mixed-methods study coded responses to a structured clinical interview of depressive symptom severity administered to adults with type 1 diabetes (n = 34; 65% female; 56% white, 38% African American, 27% Hispanic). Pearson correlations and t tests assessed relationships between interview-based and self-reported ratings of diabetes-related distress and depression.

Among participants endorsing depressive symptoms in the interview, 73% mentioned diabetes as a contributing factor. Themes emerged relating to (1) a link between diabetes symptoms and distress, including problems with appetite, sleep, concentration, and social relationships; (2) overlapping symptoms between diabetes and depression; and (3) the perceived interconnectedness of mood and blood glucose levels. Clinician-assessed depression ratings were strongly associated with self-reported ratings of depression and self-reported diabetes-related distress. Interview-based diabetes-related distress was significantly associated with self-reported diabetes-related distress. Those with a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (44%) reported more diabetes-related distress.

Results suggest that diabetes may influence the evaluation of depression, even in standardized clinical interviews administered by trained professionals, the gold standard of assessment. Findings highlight a need for improved conceptualization and measurement of distress in individuals with diabetes to distinguish between symptoms caused by illness burden and those indicating a psychiatric disorder.

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between body image, health beliefs, and health behavior in patients with diabetes classified according to body mass index (BMI).

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community hospital between January and April 2010. One-hundred-sixty-eight patients with diabetes were enrolled. Main measure was the previously published and validated Health Belief Questionnaire. Data were analyzed and compared between two groups, one with BMI ≥ 24 Kg/m² and another with BMI < 24 Kg/m².

Perceived body image affected health behavior of patients with BMI ≥ 24 Kg/m² but did not affect health behavior in patients with BMI < 24 Kg/m². Multivariate analysis found a positive association between health behavior and appearance evaluation and between health behavior and health evaluation in high BMI group. No significant association was found between body image and health behavior in the low BMI group. Patients with high BMI had lower body image than patients with low BMI as demonstrated by results of appearance evaluation, health evaluation, prevention behavior, and benefits.

Perceived body image and health beliefs are associated with self-reported health behavior among patients with diabetes with BMI measurement greater than 24 Kg/m². Diabetes educators may apply the findings of this study and the Health Belief Questionnaire to instruct and monitor patients with diabetes about self management behaviors.

The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between Spanish language-based acculturation, psychosocial coping with diabetes, and perceptions of social support obtainment for the daily management of diabetes.

Adults (N = 209) were surveyed by telephone about Hispanic ethnicity, depressed mood (PHQ-8), anxiety and worry over diabetes, social burden due to diabetes, diabetes control, and physical function (Diabetes-39), and Spanish language-based acculturation (n = 101, Hispanic only).

Significant associations revealed a relationship between less language-based acculturation with other contextual factors (gender, family demands, disease severity), and depressed mood and social burden of disease. Acculturation alone explained little about psychosocial coping. Individuals with poor psychosocial coping were more likely to have routine daily help with diabetes self- management, with acculturation explaining little about who obtains help.

Hispanic values such as placing a priority on providing help to friends and family likely have more to do with psychosocial coping with diabetes than does language preference or proficiency. Individuals with poor psychosocial functioning may benefit from external social support when family support is not present to help with the routine management of diabetes.

This study was designed to assess the feasibility of culturally and language-sensitive diabetes education as a way to increase physical activity and to improve health/diabetes management in a group of Spanish-speaking Hispanics in the Inland Empire region of Southern California.

En Balance is a culturally sensitive diabetes education program designed for Spanish-speaking Hispanic adults. The 3-month educational intervention assessed 16 males and 23 females living in Riverside and San Bernardino counties of Southern California. Baseline and 3-month evaluations of physical activity were assessed using the validated Arizona Activity Frequency Questionnaire.

After 3 months on the En Balance program, there was a significant increase in moderate intensity physical activity energy expenditure (M = 368 ± 894 kcal/day, P < 0.01) and high intensity physical activity energy expenditure (M = 405 ± 2569 kcal/day, P = 0.05) compared to baseline and significant reductions in A1C (−0.90%, P = 0.01), total cholesterol (−13.44 mg/dl, P = 0.01), LDL cholesterol (−10.28 mg/dl, P = 0.03), and waist circumference (−1.52 cm, P = 0.04).

En Balance program resulted in significant mean increases in both moderate and high intensity physical activity energy expenditure among this group of Hispanic diabetic participants, indicating that despite a general pattern of low physical activity in this group, an intervention that stresses both nutrition and exercise in culturally sensitive ways can positively impact participant’s physical activity levels as well as impact nutritional changes.

To assess Latino adults’ preferences for peer-based diabetes self-management interventions and the acceptability of the church setting for these interventions.

The authors partnered with 2 predominantly Mexican American churches in Chicago and conducted 6 focus groups with 37 adults who had diabetes or had a family member with diabetes. They assessed participant preferences regarding group education and telephone-based one-to-one peer diabetes self-management interventions. Systematic qualitative methods were used to identify the types of programming preferred by participants in the church setting.

Participants had a mean (SD) age of 53 (11) years. All participants were Latino, and more than half were born in Mexico (60%). Most participants were female (78%), had finished high school (65%), and had health insurance (57%). Sixty-five percent reported having a diagnosis of diabetes. Many participants believed the group-based and telephone-based one-to-one peer support programs could provide opportunities to share diabetes knowledge. Yet, the majority stated the group education model would offer more opportunity for social interaction and access to people with a range of diabetes experience. Participants noted many concerns regarding the one-to-one intervention, mostly involving the impersonal nature of telephone calls and the inability to form a trusting bond with the telephone partner. However, the telephone-based intervention could be a supplement to the group educational sessions. Participants also stated the church would be a familiar and trusted setting for peer-based diabetes interventions.

Church-based Latinos with diabetes and their family members were interested in peer-based diabetes self-management interventions; however, they preferred group-based to telephone-based one-to-one peer programs.