The role of work-related and personal factors in diabetes self-management

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate how factors in the workplace and personal factors are related to the frequency with which people with diabetes perform self-management activities and the degree to which they do or do not experience the performing of self-management activities as a burden. Two hundred and ninety-two employees with insulin-treated diabetes completed questionnaires on socio-demographic and illness-related background variables, work experience, diabetes self-efficacy, social support outside of work, coping styles and self-management activities. The results indicate that employees who reported a high workload were more likely to perceive injecting insulin as a burden. The level of social support was positively related to the frequency of dietary self-management in type 2 diabetes and negatively related to the sense of being burdened by dietary self-management in type 1 diabetes. With respect to personal factors, we found that a diabetes avoidance coping style was associated particularly with infrequent blood glucose monitoring and a high sense of being burdened by blood glucose monitoring. Individuals with a low level of self-efficacy were more likely to perceive all types of self-management activities as a burden. These results may guide health professionals when counseling individuals with diabetes.

Continuous glucose monitoring counseling improves physical activity behaviors of individuals with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical trial

“…The predictability of self-efficacy has been demonstrated for several diabetes self-care behaviors [35][36][37], but changes in self-efficacy behavior have not typically been included in physical activity intervention studies on individuals with type 2 diabetes [38]. However, physical activity self-efficacy (both "Making time" and "Resisting relapse") significantly increased at 8 weeks and 6 months after a behavioral intervention targeting physical activity in individuals with type 2 diabetes (N = 358); these changes were not significantly different at 1 year [39].…”

The Influence of Employer Support on Employee Management of Chronic Health Conditions at Work

“…Longitudinal research is required to corroborate these relationships. Both Weijman et al [25] and Munir et al [41] found that outside support was a better predictor for self-management behaviors than workplace support. Future studies should include these measures in order to better detect the relationship between support and self-management, and compare the relative contribution of work and non-work support to illness self-management.…”

“…Very few studies have examined the influence of work conditions and self-efficacy on self-management of illness at work [24,25]. Weijman et al [25] found that employees were able to manage their diabetes in the workplace more effectively if they had high self-efficacy and were able to control their workload, working hours and work pressure.…”

“…Very few studies have examined the influence of work conditions and self-efficacy on self-management of illness at work [24,25]. Weijman et al [25] found that employees were able to manage their diabetes in the workplace more effectively if they had high self-efficacy and were able to control their workload, working hours and work pressure. Gignac et al [24] also found employees with arthritis had better health outcomes at work such as reduced symptoms and increased psychological well-being, if they were able to make at least one workplace change to help manage their illness at work.…”

Frequency and perceived burden of diabetes self-management activities in employees with insulin-treated diabetes: relationships with health outcomes

“…The Multidimensional Diabetes Self-management Checklist (MDSC) [25] measures four domains of self-management activities for individuals with insulin-treated diabetes: (1) dietary self-management (following dietary guidelines, eating regularly); (2) injecting insulin (the recommended frequency, the recommended dosage of insulin); (3) blood-glucose monitoring; (4) adjusting the insulin dosage to specific circumstances. These four self-management activities have been selected because they may be difficult to plan for and interfere with one's daily routines.…”