Engagement in the Diabetes Online Community is Associated with Better Glycemic Control
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Abstract
Background: Diabetes requires ongoing self-care management and many individuals with diabetes become experts in translating medical recommendations into real-life strategies to manage their diabetes day-to-day. The diabetes online community (DOC) is one place where discussions about day-to-day diabetes management strategies occur among peers. The DOC comprises multiple websites that include social networking sites, blogs, and forums in which apomediated diabetes related discussions occur. Online communities have been shown to provide disease specific practical advice, emotional support, shared experience, and encourage empowerment; however little is known about how DOC use is associated with diabetes self-management.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore who uses the DOC, how it is used, and the perceived benefits of DOC use in relation to health indicators.
Method: An online survey was conducted among multiple DOC sites over a 7 month period in 2012-2013. Binary logistic regression and modeling was performed to determine the extent to which DOC use predicted an A1C < 7 or ≥ 7% controlling statistically for other variables.
Results: A total of 183 adults participated in this study, the majority were female (71.6%), undergoing intensive insulin management (80.3%), with a mean age of 44.7 (SD=14).). Participants had high diabetes self-care (M=72.4, SD=12.1), health related quality of life (SF-12v2 physical component summary M= 64.75, SD=19; mental component summary M= 66.56, SD=21.6), and bonding social capital (M=3.08, SD=0.64) and bridging social capital (M=3.68, SD=0.68) scores. DOC engagement was a strong predictor of A1C; every point increase in DOC engagement yielded 33.8% reduction in odds of having an A1C ≥7%. Conversely, there was a 2.7 times increased odds of having an A1C ≥7% among participants who reported the DOC helped them learn about strategies to improve insurance coverage for diabetes related medications, supplies, and technology devices .
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that individuals highly engage with the DOC are more likely to have better glycemic control, high health related quality of life, and self-care levels. Participants found online peer health to be beneficial with regards to knowledge and support. DOC members are often not informing their health care provider about their participation with the DOC suggesting that health care providers should be familiar with the DOC. Supplementing usual healthcare activities with DOC engagement may encourage knowledge and support among a population who need both to optimize diabetes self-management. Further studies are needed to determine how participation with the DOC affects health outcomes.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore who uses the DOC, how it is used, and the perceived benefits of DOC use in relation to health indicators.
Method: An online survey was conducted among multiple DOC sites over a 7 month period in 2012-2013. Binary logistic regression and modeling was performed to determine the extent to which DOC use predicted an A1C < 7 or ≥ 7% controlling statistically for other variables.
Results: A total of 183 adults participated in this study, the majority were female (71.6%), undergoing intensive insulin management (80.3%), with a mean age of 44.7 (SD=14).). Participants had high diabetes self-care (M=72.4, SD=12.1), health related quality of life (SF-12v2 physical component summary M= 64.75, SD=19; mental component summary M= 66.56, SD=21.6), and bonding social capital (M=3.08, SD=0.64) and bridging social capital (M=3.68, SD=0.68) scores. DOC engagement was a strong predictor of A1C; every point increase in DOC engagement yielded 33.8% reduction in odds of having an A1C ≥7%. Conversely, there was a 2.7 times increased odds of having an A1C ≥7% among participants who reported the DOC helped them learn about strategies to improve insurance coverage for diabetes related medications, supplies, and technology devices .
Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that individuals highly engage with the DOC are more likely to have better glycemic control, high health related quality of life, and self-care levels. Participants found online peer health to be beneficial with regards to knowledge and support. DOC members are often not informing their health care provider about their participation with the DOC suggesting that health care providers should be familiar with the DOC. Supplementing usual healthcare activities with DOC engagement may encourage knowledge and support among a population who need both to optimize diabetes self-management. Further studies are needed to determine how participation with the DOC affects health outcomes.
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