Diabetes Education in a Mexican-American Population: Pilot Testing of a Research-Based Videotape

A diabetes education videotape was designed and pilot tested in a sample of 30 Spanish-speaking Hispanic diabetic adults in a rural Texas-Mexico border community. The videotape provided an overview of diabetes, with emphasis on the concept of blood glucose; relationships between food, medications, exercise, and blood glucose levels; and blood glucose monitoring. Outcomes of videotape effectiveness were based on a 20-item knowledge test and interview data to assess acceptability of videotapes as a learning tool. Comparison of the knowledge test scores of the experimental group (those who viewed the tape before taking the knowledge test) with the control group (those who took the test before viewing the tape) produced a positive, moderate effect size of 0.61. Interviews with subjects indicated enthusiastic acceptance of the videotape as a means of transmitting diabetes information.

The Starr County Diabetes Education Study: development of the Spanish-language diabetes knowledge questionnaire

OBJECTIVE

This study reports the psychometric properties of the 24-item version of the Diabetes Knowledge Questionnaire (DKQ).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The original 60-item DKQ was administered to 502 adult Mexican-Americans with type 2 diabetes who are part of the Starr County Diabetes Education Study. The sample was composed of 252 participants and 250 support partners. The subjects were randomly assigned to the educational and social support intervention (n = 250) or to the wait-listed control group (n = 252). A shortened 24-item version of the DKQ was derived from the original instrument after data collection was completed. Reliability was assessed by means of Cronbach's coefficient alpha. To determine validity, differentiation between the experimental and control groups was conducted at baseline and after the educational portion of the intervention.

RESULTS

The 24-item version of the DKQ (DKQ-24) attained a reliability coefficient of 0.78, indicating internal consistency, and showed sensitivity to the intervention, suggesting construct validation.

CONCLUSIONS

The DKQ-24 is a reliable and valid measure of diabetes-related knowledge that is relatively easy to administer to either English or Spanish speakers.

Gender and treatment differences in knowledge, health beliefs, and metabolic control in Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes

PURPOSE

The purpose of this project was to describe metabolic control, knowledge, and health beliefs of Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

The study site was Starr County, Texas, a border community located on the Rio Grande River and bordering northern Mexico. Of the total sample of 360 persons, 252 agreed to participate in this intervention study and were randomized either to the treatment group or the control group that waited 1 year to begin the intervention.

RESULTS

The majority of individuals were Spanish-speaking females with a mean age of 54 years and a mean diabetes duration of 8 years. For those treated with diet only, males exhibited higher fasting blood glucose levels than females. Gender effects were seen for cholesterol level, with females exhibiting higher levels than males. Males expressed stronger perceptions of control and social support for diet. Bivariate relationships were found between acculturation and diabetes knowledge. The health belief subscales of control and impact on job together explained 16% of the variance in HbA1c values.

CONCLUSIONS

Males and females held differing beliefs about ability to control their diabetes and degree of social support for diet. The impact of gender differences on ability to integrate diabetes self-care and on effectiveness of diabetes programs has not been determined but should be considered in future research.