Outcomes of an intervention to reduce uncertainty among African American women with diabetes.
Poor adjustment to diabetes in older African American women may result from uncertainty, stemming from a lack of information about self-care activities, a complexity of self-care activities, comorbid conditions, and a lack of resources. This study evaluated a telephone intervention to reduce uncertainty (through problem-solving strategies, information, cognitive reframing, and improved patient-provider communication)--namely, to measure its effects on diabetes self-care and psychosocial adjustment. Sixty-eight older African American women were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group received the intervention for 4 weeks, and the control group received usual care. Psychosocial adjustment and self-care were measured in all participants at baseline and 6 weeks postbaseline. The experimental group reported increased participation in exercise (self-care component; p < .001) and improvement in psychosocial adjustment (p < .001). Thus, reducing the uncertainty related to diabetes self-care improves self-care exercise, as well as psychosocial adjustment.
Amoako
Emelia
E
School of Nursing, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA. emelia_amoako@uncg.edu
Skelly
Anne H
AH
Rossen
Eileen K
EK
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D001741:Black or African American / Q000193:education / Q000208:ethnology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003142:Communication; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009657:North Carolina; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011340:Problem Solving; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D020377:Self Efficacy; D055817:Telenursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D035501:Uncertainty; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology