Gender Counts When it Comes to Effective Diabetes Management, Prevention

Finding better ways to educate patients with diabetes and manage their disease could prove beneficial to family physicians, who often are the first line of defense against the disease. A recently published study that suggests diabetes counseling, management and patient education should be presented differently to men and women could help FPs in their efforts.

Results of the study "Characteristics of Men and Women with Diabetes" were published in the February issue of Canadian Family Physician. In their initial remarks, study researchers, including lead author Enza Gucciardi, Ph.D., of the Ryerson University School of Nutrition in Toronto, noted that women are at a higher risk of morbidity and mortality from diabetes complications, including coronary artery disease and stroke, but that little research had been conducted to suggest why.

Researchers set out to examine the psychosocial, behavioral and clinical differences between men and women during their initial visit to a diabetes education center.

A total of 275 men and women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes participated in the study. The average age of participants was 54.4 years old, and they had lived with diabetes for a median of four months. Participants were questioned immediately after their appointments at diabetes education centers; patients also received glycosylated hemoglobin A1c testing to measure glycemic control. In addition, researchers collected disease-related variables from patients' medical charts.

After compiling all of the study components, the researchers noted some significant differences between men and women. For instance,

In addition, researchers learned that women had higher expectations for the outcome of diabetes self-management activities, as well as higher perceived levels of support from professional health care teams.

The data collected also showed that mean body mass index, HDL-C levels and depressive symptoms were significantly higher among women than men. The study authors noted that depression often is not diagnosed in patients with diabetes, and that it could be an important factor, because depression often is a predictor of poor adherence to medical regimens.

On the other hand, men were more likely to think that diabetes was a controllable disease and were more concerned that diabetes would force limitations on their lives.
Overall, men reported lower stress levels related to diabetes and a greater sense of well-being than women participants.

However, researchers noted that men had lower expectations than women about the benefits of diabetes self-management.

Based on their findings, the study authors concluded that the differences they found between men and women participants in the study could be useful in gauging patients' risks of acquiring diabetes, their attitudes about self-care for the disease, and ultimately, their health outcomes.

Specifically, the authors advised physicians to

The researchers also suggested that physicians continue to emphasize the importance of weight management for all patients.