Perceived diabetes status is independently associated with glucose monitoring behaviour among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate if patients' perceptions of their diabetes status is related to blood glucose self-monitoring (SMBG) behaviour, independent of self-reported disease severity.


METHODS
The setting of this study was a cross-sectional study among 1561 patients, 18 years or older, who filled at least two prescriptions for any glucose lowering drug between March 2002 and 2003 in the Netherlands. Using a 30-item self-administered questionnaire, data on self-monitoring behaviour (frequency of test strip use and objective of self-monitoring), perceived diabetes status and disease severity were gathered. Type 1 diabetes mellitus patients were excluded. We used logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI).


RESULTS
About 54% of the patients (n=841) returned evaluable questionnaires. After exclusion of 97 type 1 diabetes mellitus patients, 744 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients were included. Practising SMBG was more common among patients who rated their diabetes status as poorly or moderately controlled compared to those who rated it (very) well-controlled (OR 1.93; 95% CI: 1.20-3.12). A better perceived diabetes status was more likely in those who performed SMBG infrequently compared to those who performed SMBG frequently (p-value for trend=0.001). Self-reported factors of disease severity and personalized objectives did not affect these associations considerably.


CONCLUSIONS
Among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, SMBG behaviour is associated with patients' perceptions of diabetes status, irrespective of the self-reported disease severity.
Klungel
Olaf H
OH
Department of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacotherapy, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, P.O. Box 80082, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands. o.h.klungel@pharm.uu.nl
Storimans
Michiel J
MJ
Floor-Schreudering
Annemieke
A
Talsma
Herre
H
Rutten
Guy E H M
GE
de Blaey
Cornelis J
CJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
D001786:Blood Glucose