King, Glasgow, and colleagues evaluated associations between psychosocial and social-environmental variables and diabetes self-management, and diabetes control. Baseline data from a type 2 diabetes self-management randomized trial with 463 adults having elevated body mass index (BMI) (M = 34.8 kg/m(2)) were used to investigate relations among demographic, psychosocial, and social-environmental variables; dietary, exercise, and medication-taking behaviors; and biologic outcomes. Self-efficacy, problem solving, and social-environmental support were independently associated with diet and exercise, increasing the variance accounted for by 23% and 19%, respectively. Only diet contributed to explained variance in BMI (beta = -.17, p = .0003) and self-rated health status (beta = .25, p < .0001); and only medication-taking contributed to lipid ratio (total/HDL) (beta=-.20, p = .0001) and hemoglobin A1c (beta = -.21, p < .0001).

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A HEALTH CARE DTHE PROVIDER: The authors concluded that interventions should focus on enhancing self-efficacy, problem solving, and social-environmental support to improve self-management.

WHAT THE STUDY MAY MEAN TO YOU AS A PATIENT: Russ Glasgow and his colleagues have done superb work in the area of diabetes, including self-management of the disorder. Their conclusions are prudent and should be incorporated into existing or planned self-management programs for diabetes or any other chronic condition.

DK King, RE Glasgow et al. Self-Efficacy, Problem Solving, and Social-Environmental Support are Associated With Diabetes Self-Management Behaviors. Diabetes Care, February 11, 2010.