Social Networks Boost Diabetes Education And Reduce Hba1c And Blood Sugar

The goal of the “Diabetes Peer to Peer (P2P®) Study” was to assess the effect of social networks for diabetes information sharing on the improvement of diabetes management in patients with type 2 diabetes in the Baltimore metropolitan area. In this prospective cohort study enrolling patients with diabetes, those in the intervention group (P2P®) were asked to recruit peers, form small groups, and attend monthly diabetes education sessions, emphasizing peer-support. Patients in the control group were recruited individually to attend standard diabetes education sessions. The primary outcomes were changes in Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c) and blood glucose. Secondary outcomes included clinical indicators (blood pressure, BMI), functional status, self-efficacy, perceived cohesion, social network connectedness, and diabetes knowledge. Socio-demographics, drug history, and comorbidities were also recorded. Multivariate regression models, finalized after a stepwise selection process, were built to assess mean absolute changes in HbA1c and blood glucose at the first follow-up, at three months. Of a total of 136 enrolled, the intervention patients (68) had more metformin use, higher BMI, lower social network scores, and lower diabetes knowledge at baseline. All other baseline characteristics were evenly distributed between arms. At follow-up, P2P® patients had a larger reduction in HbA1c (-0.47 vs. -0.31 %, P=0.17) and blood glucose (-9.1 vs. -2.4 mg/dL, P=0.05) than the controls. In multivariate adjusted models, P2P® was associated with a statistically significantly larger mean reduction in HbA1c (-0.33 %, P<0.01) and blood glucose (-8.6 mg/dL, P<0.01), than the control. Marital status, insulin use, high baseline Hba1c, and good physical functional status were associated with a significant drop in Hba1c and blood glucose. The social networks, as opposed to the individual approach to diabetes education, prove more effective at reducing patients’ HbA1c and blood glucose at 3-months follow-up.