title: [Mutual Help Groups: diabetes and hypertension control strategy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the accomplishment of the treatment basic goals of every person with diabetes type 2 that attend the Mutual Help Groups (GAM) of the Mexican Ministry of Health (SS).
  
  
  METHODS
  This transversal comparative study was carried out in 15 Mexican states, through the accomplishment reports of the treatment basic goals of the GAM integrants by June of 2001, compared to the reported figures by the Health Information System for Open Population (SISPA), Ministry of Health on the same date. The studied variables are: age, sex, blood glucose, blood pressure, body mass index, physical activity and pharmacological treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The treatment basic goals accomplishment for 6, 958 people with diabetes was evaluated, all of them attended the Ministry of Health GAMs, in 15 of the 32 Mexican states including the Federal District. When comparing frequencies of patients with diabetes controlled by the GAM and the SISPA, a differential was appreciated, being observed a tendency that showed that people in the GAM were much more controlled; when analyzing with the test Student "t" the differences were even more significant (p < 0.005). The obese diabetics group had a higher risk of being uncontrolled, in relation to the group of non-obese diabetics (OR 1.8, CI: 1.06,1.32; p < 0.002). When comparing the sedentary to the non-sedentary group it was found that the sedentary diabetics presented 1.56 times higher risk of being uncontrolled, that those in the diabetes group that carried out physical activity (CI: 1.37,1.78; p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Mutual Help Groups are a fundamental strategy in the educational line for improving the disease control, since people with diabetes or hypertension and their relatives play an active role in treatment development accomplishment, as well as in the disease prevention and control. Unlike to that reported in the SISPA, the highest benefits of control, are achieved in people with diabetes or hypertension who attend the GAM.
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica y Control de Enfermedades - CENAVECE, Programa Nacional de Salud del Adulto y el Anciano, Secretaria de Salud, México. adulto_anciano@salud.gob.mx
authors.forename: Agustín Lara
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Esqueda
authors.forename: Arturo Aroch
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Calderón
authors.forename: Rosa Aurora
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Mario Arceo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: Oscar Velázquez
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Monroy
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation