title: Blood glucose self-monitoring patterns in Mexican Americans: further lessons from the Starr County Border Health Initiative.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose was to describe patterns of home self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) in Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus enrolled in a diabetes self-management education protocol. Research questions were as follows: (1) What were the patterns and rates of home glucose self-monitoring over the 6-month course of the study? (2) What were the differences in monitoring rates between experimental and control groups? (3) What were the relationships between rates of monitoring and glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C), gender, and years with diabetes?
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a randomized (by group) repeated-measures pretest/posttest control group design. Glucometer data from an experimental group (diabetes self-management education plus nurse case management) and a comparison group (diabetes self-management education only) were analyzed. Data were collected at baseline and at 3 and 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall average SMBG rates were low. Experimental and control group monitoring levels were not significantly different. More females than males never monitored glucose values, but more females than males checked at least one time per week. Those participants who checked their glucose levels more than once per week had diabetes for a longer period of time. Rates of monitoring were not strongly associated with A1C levels at 3 and 6 months, but at 6 months A1C levels were statistically significantly different based on whether or not individuals monitored their glucose levels (P=0.03, n=71).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SMBG rates were low in this study despite SMBG education and access to free glucometers and test strips. The lower rates of SMBG may reflect the effects of unexpected environmental challenges, but exact causes remain unclear. Reasons for low rates of SMBG need to be explored further, especially in underserved communities.
authors.affiliation: 1 School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin , Austin, Texas.
authors.forename: Heather E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Cuevas
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Alexandra A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: García
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Adama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Craig L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hanis
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000378:metabolism*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human