self-care-behaviors-of-food-insecure-persons-with-diabetes

Abstract

Objective: Food insecurity has been associated with poor glycemic control in patients with diabetes. This study evaluates the self-care behaviors of patients with diabetes who experience food insecurity. Results: The Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) was administered to 132 food insecure persons with diabetes at randomly selected community centers, local churches, and food pantries in the Madison, Wisconsin area between May 2016 and August 2017. Sixty-one percent of the participants were female and 52% identified as African American or Black. The mean sum DSMQ score of participants was 6.47 ± 2.37 out of ten possible points and the mean subscores for glucose management, dietary control, and physical activity were 6.95 ± 2.05, 5.54 ± 2.18, and 6.35 ± 2.37 respectively. While 92% of respondents reported having medical coverage, 42% reported cost related medication under-usage. These results suggest that diabetes management education that identifies challenges and barriers to proper self-care and takes into account the challenges that food insecure individuals face every day is greatly needed.