Patient-provider perceptions of diabetes and its impact on self-management: a comparison of African-American and White patients.
OBJECTIVE
To compare patient-provider differences in diabetes-related perceptions between African-American and White patients and to examine its association with self-care behaviours.


METHODS
One hundred and thirty patient-provider pairs were recruited from the greater Detroit area. Patients and providers completed a survey assessing perceptions about diabetes-related concepts and demographic background. The Diabetes Semantic Differential Scale was used to measure diabetes-related perceptions. Patients also reported the frequency of performing self-care behaviours, including following a healthy eating plan, engaging in physical activity, blood glucose monitoring, and taking medication and/or insulin.


RESULTS
There were a greater number of patient-provider differences in diabetes-related perceptions for the African-American patients (nine of 18 concepts) compared with the White patients (four of 18 concepts). Stepwise regression analyses found patients' semantic differential scores to be significantly associated with five self-care behaviours for African-American patients and two self-care behaviours for White patients. Providers' semantic differential scores emerged as predictors of self-care behaviours for African-American patients, but not for White patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that compared with White patients, African-Americans differ in a greater number of diabetes-related perceptions than their providers. Patients' and providers' perceptions of diabetes care concepts have a significant impact on a greater number of self-care behaviours for African-American patients than White patients.
Tang
T S
TS
University of Michigan Department of Medical Education, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA. tangts@umich.edu
Stansfield
R B
RB
Oh
M
M
Anderson
R M
RM
Fitzgerald
J T
JT
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*