Self-management practices of Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes

Nurs Health Sci. 2010 Jun;12(2):228-34. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2010.00524.x.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of diabetes self-management and its association with demographic and diabetes-related characteristics in Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes. A questionnaire that measured diabetes self-management and diabetes-related characteristics was administered to a sample of 211 Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes living in America. The results indicated that the participants were likely to take medications but less likely to carry out diet, physical activity, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and foot care behaviors. Associations between diabetes self-management and demographic and diabetes-related characteristics were observed. For example, individuals who had less education and were employed were less likely to engage in diabetes self-management than those with higher education and who were retired, while individuals who had a longer duration of diabetes and used insulin as a treatment more frequently carried out self-monitoring than those who had a shorter duration of diabetes and used oral hypoglycemic agents. These findings indicate that the self-management practices among the participants are suboptimal. Research on developing culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions to promote diabetes self-management for Chinese Americans is warranted.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Asian / statistics & numerical data*
  • Confidence Intervals
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / epidemiology
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / prevention & control*
  • Diet
  • Female
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Insulin / therapeutic use
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Motor Activity
  • Nutritional Status
  • Odds Ratio
  • Self Care*
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States / epidemiology

Substances

  • Hypoglycemic Agents
  • Insulin