Improving self-management in insulin-treated adults participating in diabetes education. The role of overprotection by the partner.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the role of overprotection by the partner--i.e. excessive protection, unnecessary help, excessive praise for accomplishments, or attempts to restrict activities as a consequence of underestimating the patient's capabilities--in changes in patient self-management in the context of diabetes education.


METHODS
Sixty-seven insulin-treated patients with a partner completed questionnaires on admission to a Multidisciplinary Intensive Education Programme (MIEP) and 3 months after completing the core module of MIEP. Factors assessed were overprotection by their partner and three aspects of diabetes self-management, namely internal locus of control, diabetes-related distress and HbA1c. Regression analyses were used to test the independent associations of patient sex, baseline overprotection and the interaction between sex and overprotection with diabetes self-management at the follow-up stage, controlling for the baseline value of the dependent variable.


RESULTS
The increase in internal locus of control and decrease in HbA1c were both significantly less for female patients who perceived their partner to be rather overprotective than for female patients who did not perceive their partner to be overprotective. The more patients, both male and female, perceived their partner to be overprotective, the less their diabetes-related distress decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Overprotection by the partner showed a negative association with improvement in diabetes self-management, especially for female patients. Thus, an intervention programme with the aim of reducing overprotection by the partner, or the perception of this, may enhance self-management in patients participating in diabetes education.
Hagedoorn
M
M
Northern Centre for Health Care Research, Department of Public Health and Health Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands. m.hagedoorn@med.umcg.nl
Keers
J C
JC
Links
T P
TP
Bouma
J
J
Ter Maaten
J C
JC
Sanderman
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin