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Younger people with Type 2 diabetes have poorer self‐care practices compared with older people: results from the Australian National Diabetes Audit
Author(s) -
Nanayakkara N.,
Pease A. J.,
Ranasinha S.,
Wischer N.,
Andrikopoulos S.,
de Courten B.,
Zoungas S.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/dme.13660
Subject(s) - medicine , diabetes mellitus , type 2 diabetes , depression (economics) , attendance , gerontology , type 1 diabetes , odds ratio , demography , endocrinology , sociology , economic growth , economics , macroeconomics
Aim This cross‐sectional study compares the self‐care practices of younger and older people with Type 2 diabetes. Methods Data were analysed from the Australian National Diabetes Audit ( ANDA ) including 2552 adults with Type 2 diabetes from Australian Diabetes Centres. Pre‐specified demographic and clinical variables were obtained. Self‐care variables (physical activity, following dietary recommendations, medication adherence and monitoring blood glucose levels) were compared in people ≤ 64 and > 64 years of age. Results Mean age (± sd ) of participants was 63 ± 13 years overall, 53 ± 9 years for the younger group and 73 ± 6 years for the older group. A greater proportion of younger people had HbA 1c levels > 53 mmol/mol (> 7.0%) (76% vs. 68%), reported difficulty following dietary recommendations (50% vs. 32%) and forgetting medications (37% vs. 22%) compared with older people (all P ‐values <0.001). A smaller proportion of younger compared with older people reported monitoring their blood glucose levels as often as recommended (60% vs. 70%, P < 0.001). Similar proportions of people aged ≤ 64 and > 64 years required insulin therapy (59% vs. 57%, P = 0.200). Younger age was associated with a twofold increase in the odds of not following the recommended self‐care practices after adjustment for gender, smoking, insulin therapy, depression and allied health attendance (all P < 0.001). Conclusions Despite shorter diabetes duration, younger age was associated with worse glycaemic control and poorer diabetes self‐care practices among people with Type 2 diabetes. Targeted strategies are required to optimize diabetes self‐care practices and thereby glycaemic control.