The diabetes-related attitudes of health care professionals and persons with diabetes in Argentina.
OBJECTIVE
To test diabetes-related attitudes of health care team members (HCTMs) and people with diabetes in a developing country, in this case, Argentina.


METHODS
The third version of the Diabetes Attitudes Scale (DAS-3) was randomly administered, in person, to 252 HCTMs (nurses, nutritionists, physicians, podiatrists, and social workers) and 279 people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes mellitus in several provinces of Argentina in 2004. Data from 531 completed questionnaires were included in the study. The data were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance, covariance, chi-square, and t-tests.


RESULTS
Although few, the differences in attitudes of HCTMs and people with diabetes were significant. The two groups expressed only slight agreement on DAS-3 statements such as "seriousness of type 2 diabetes," "value of tight control," and "psychosocial impact of diabetes;" and disagreed completely on "patient autonomy." No significant differences were recorded between people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes regarding "seriousness of the disease," but from both groups, those individuals who had previously attended a diabetes education course assigned this statement a higher score (P<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
The unfavorable trend among the participants, similar to that recorded in developed countries, would contribute to the poor treatment outcomes observed in people with type 2 diabetes. Changing these attitudes by means of education could contribute to improving the quality of care and of life for people with diabetes and to decreasing the cost of the disease.
Gagliardino
Juan J
JJ
Center of Experimental and Applied Endocrinology (CENEXA-PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center for Diabetes Research, Education, and Care), National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina. direccion@cenexa.org.ar
González
Claudio
C
Caporale
Joaquín E
JE
D000328:Adult; D001118:Argentina; D001290:Attitude; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires