Gender Differences in the Selection of an Action Plan for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objective: To assess differences between women and men in developing an action plan for the management of their type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: We chose a convenience sample of the first 153 patients who participated in a four-part educational class focused on the management of type 2 DM. Th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The patient : patient-centered outcomes research 2009-09, Vol.2 (3), p.203-208
Main Authors: Nuovo, Jim, Balsbaugh, Thomas, Levich, Bridget
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Care and treatment
Demographic aspects
Diabetes therapy
Health Administration
Health aspects
Health Economics
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Original Research Article
Pharmacoeconomics and Health Outcomes
Public Health
Quality of Life Research
Type 2 diabetes
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Summary:Objective: To assess differences between women and men in developing an action plan for the management of their type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: We chose a convenience sample of the first 153 patients who participated in a four-part educational class focused on the management of type 2 DM. The classes are run by a certified diabetes educator and have a specific format. We use a decision wheel to assist in the development of a patient-generated action plan to address a specific health behavior change. For each patient we documented age, gender, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) level. Results: There was a difference in choice of action plan based on gender (p = 0.014). For women the distribution of action plans was exercise 38%, nutrition 22%, medication 20%, no action plan 13%, and monitoring 7%. For men the distribution of action plans was exercise 26%, nutrition 26%, medication 6%, no action plan 26%, and monitoring 16%. Age did not affect the choice of an action plan (p = 0.964); however, patients with a lower HbA 1c level chose exercise more frequently (p < 0.002). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest there may be gender-based differences affecting the selection of an action plan for patients with type 2 DM. Further research is needed to determine the relative weight of other important factors on the decision for a particular action plan; e.g. sociodemographic factors, stage of readiness to change, and comorbid conditions.
ISSN:1178-1653
1178-1661
DOI:10.2165/11314190-000000000-00000