Gender, Illness-Related Diabetes Social Support, and Glycemic Control Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

This study examined whether the association between illness-related diabetes social support (IRDSS) and glycemic control among middle-aged and older adults is different for men and women.

This cross-sectional analysis included 914 adults with diabetes who completed the Health and Retirement Study's 2003 Mail Survey on Diabetes. IRDSS is a composite score of 8 diabetes self-care measures. Hemoglobin A1c levels were obtained to measure good glycemic control (< 8.0%). Gender-stratified multivariate log-binomial regression models were used to estimate prevalence ratios and examine the association between IRDSS and glycemic control after controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics.

The prevalence of good glycemic control was 48.9% among women and 51.1% among men. Mean composite IRDSS scores did not differ by gender. Among women, composite IRDSS was associated with adequate glycemic control (prevalence ratio: 1.06; 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.08), and all individual components of IRDSS, with the exception of keeping appointments, were positively associated with adequate glycemic control. No significant associations were observed in men for composite or individual components of IRDSS.

Determining the gender-specific impact derived from IRDSS is a worthwhile approach to highlighting factors that differentially predict optimal glycemic control among middle-aged and older adults.