Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate whether patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in diabetes education advanced through stages of change for self-management behaviors and to determine if movement was related to glucose control.
Methods: A cohort of 428 patients with type 2 diabetes participated in a traditional diabetes education program in a large urban center in the Southwest. The sample was predominantly female with less than a high school education, a mean age of 52 years, and a mean duration of diabetes of 7 years. Two interviews were conducted approximately 9 months apart, at 1 to 4 weeks before the educational program and at 6 months after completing it. Blood specimens were collected at each interview to measure hemoglobin A1C (A1C) levels.
Results: Most of the patients advanced 1 or more stages of change for at least 1 self-management behavior. Those with diabetes for less than 2 years were significantly more likely to advance at least 1 stage of change for diet and exercise than those with diabetes for more than 2 years. Such advancement was significantly associated with a decline in A1C.
Conclusions: Patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in diabetes education advanced through stages of change for self-care behaviors. The intervention was more effective for those with a shorter duration of diabetes.