Oral Presentation Australian Diabetes Society and the Australian Diabetes Educators Association Annual Scientific Meeting 2017

Younger patients with type 2 diabetes have worse self-care practices compared with older patients: results from ANDA 2016 (#3)

Natalie Nanayakkara 1 , Anthony Pease 1 2 , Sanjeeva Ranasinha 1 , Natalie Wischer 3 , Sofianos Andrikopoulos 3 , Barbora de Courten 1 2 , Sophia Zoungas 1 2 4
  1. School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
  2. Diabetes and Vascular Medicine Unit, Monash Health , Clayton, VIC , Australia
  3. National Association of Diabetes Centres, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
  4. The George Institute for Global Health, Camperdown, NSW, Australia

Introduction

Type 2 diabetes, traditionally a disease of middle and older age, is increasingly diagnosed among younger people. This study compares the self-care practices of younger and older patients with type 2 diabetes.

 

Methods

Data were analysed from the Australian National Diabetes Audit (ANDA) that included 2552 adult patients with type 2 diabetes from 56 participating Diabetes Centres across Australia during the 1-month survey period in May/June 2016. Pre-specified demographic and clinical variables were obtained. Self-care variables (physical activity, following the recommended diet, medication adherence and blood glucose monitoring) were compared in patients <60 years and ≥60 years of age.  

 

Results

Mean age of participants was 62.7±12.7 years, 70.53±7.20 for the older group and 49.43±8.25 for the younger group.  Mean diabetes duration was 8.09±7.54 years and 14.01±10.08 years for younger and older patients respectively (p<0.01). A greater proportion of younger compared to older patients had HbA1c levels above 7.0% (76% vs 68%, p<0.01).  Similar proportions of patients aged<60 years and ≥60 years required insulin therapy (59% vs 57% respectively p=0.168). A greater proportion of younger compared to older patients reported difficulty following the recommended diet (50%vs 32%) and forgetting medications (37%vs 22%) (all p<0.01). A smaller proportion of younger compared to older patients reported checking their blood glucose levels as often as recommended (60%vs 70%, p<0.01). In models adjusting for gender, smoking, insulin therapy, depression and allied health attendance, younger age was associated with a 2-fold increase in the odds of not following the recommended self-care practices (Table 1, all p< 0.01).

 

Conclusion

Despite shorter diabetes duration, younger age was associated with worse glycaemic control and poorer diabetes self-care practices among patients with type 2 diabetes. Targeted strategies to optimise diabetes self-care practices and resultant glycaemic control are urgently required.

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