Relationship between glycemic control and perceived family support among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus seen in a rich kinship network in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: The practice of diabetes self-care behaviors has been cited as a foundation for achieving optimal glycemic control. Proper motivation of people with diabetes mellitus is, however, needed for the performance of these behaviors. It is therefore pertinent to know if motivation by the family will improve glycemic control in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between glycemic control and perceived family support among Nigerians with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conduced on 316 adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus who attended a medical outpatient clinic. Data were collected through a pretested intervieweradministered questionnaire and a standardized tool (Perceived Social Support-Family scale). Hemoglobin A 1c level was used as an indicator of glycemic control. Results: The proportion of participants with good glycemic control was 40.6%. Most of the participants (137, 43.8%) had strong perceived family support. Strong perceived family support (P = 0.00001, odds ratio 112.51) was an independent predictor of good glycemic control. Conclusion: This study shows that strong perception of family support is a predictor of glycemic control among the adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus studied. Physicians working in sub-Saharan African countries with rich kinship networks should harness the available family support of people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in their management.

Glycaemic control among type 2 diabetes patients in sub-Saharan Africa from 2012 to 2022: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Five studies assessed the relationship between increasing age and glycaemic control [ 27 , 31 , 34 , 58 , 61 ], two found that it was negatively associated with glycosylated haemoglobin [ 31 , 61 ], and one found that it was associated with good glycaemic control [ 57 ]. Older age was associated with poor glycaemic control in twelve studies [ 22 , 29 , 32 , 36 , 39 , 65 , 68 , 69 , 73 , 77 , 83 , 86 ]. Eight studies assessed the relationship between the female gender and glycaemic control [ 18 , 29 , 34 , 51 , 61 , 64 , 65 , 73 ], two studies found that the female gender was significantly associated with poor glycaemic control [ 18 , 34 ], and one study linked it to good glycaemic control [ 28 ].…”

Association between Perceived Family Support and the Control of Adult Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Nigerian Tertiary Hospital

“…However, there has been inconsistency on the influence of sex on glycaemic control. Some authors reported better control in female diabetic patients [20,38,39] while another study reported better control in the males. The reason for this variation was attributed to the very low socioeconomic status of the women in the study setting [40].…”

“…Nevertheless, Osuji et al in southwestern Nigeria studied the relationship between perceived family support and glycaemic control. The authors of Osuji et al study reported that patients with high perceived family support had better glycaemic control [20]. To the best of knowledge of the authors, no study has been done in the study hospital on the relationship between perceived family support and the control of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in adults.…”

Glycemic Control and its Predictors among Diabetic Patients Attending a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria: A Retrospective Observational Study

“…This finding is in contrast to the widely reported poor glycemic control among diabetes patients in Southern Nigeria, as supported by preceding literature. For instance, as high as 59.4% of poor glycemic control has been reported (Osuji and Odebunmi, 2013), 55% (Ufuoma and Ngozi, 2016) and Fiseha and co-workers also reported an overwhelming 71% poor glycemic control among diabetes patients in a hospital-based cross-sectional study in North-eastern Ethiopia (Fiseha and Gebreweld, 2018). Similarly, in Asia, Li et al reported inadequate glycemic control (50.3%) among Type 2 diabetes patients attending tertiary healthcare facility in Ningbo, China (Li www.jBiomedAnalytics.org and Li, 2018).…”