Impact of community-based diabetes education on program attenders and nonattenders

This study reports on the differential impact of a moderately intensive diabetes education program on program attenders and dropouts. Sixty-one individuals with diabetes mellitus participated in a diabetes education program to increase knowledge, self-care, and metabolic control. Program attenders demonstrated a significant increase in diabetes knowledge and foot care irrespective of whether they attended the control or education groups. A discriminant analysis suggested that the nonattenders were more poorly educated, had less income, were younger, had had diabetes twice as long, reported more barriers to self-care, and were in poorer health than attenders. These results suggest that patients who attend interventions may be able to benefit from even minimal levels of intervention, while program dropouts may need special assistance to overcome obstacles to program participation.