Objectives: To examine the demographic, health and diabetes management correlates of physician trust in a rural, multiethnic population with diabetes.
Methods: 563 older (≥ 60 years) African American, American Indian and White adults completed in-home surveys, including the 11-item General Trust in Physicians Scale.
Results: Higher trust scores were seen among: older (>75) participants (p < .01), those with fewer (<3) chronic health conditions (p < .01), and those who adhered to physical activity (p < .05) and dilated eye exam (p < .01) guidelines; the latter remained significant (eye exam, p = .019) or approached significance (physical activity, p = .051) after adjustment for potential confounders.
Conclusions: Physician trust may influence patient adherence to diabetes management recommendations. Efforts should be made to build trust in the patient-provider relationship to enhance patient outcomes.