Diabetes care and education in rural regions

The purpose of this study was to examine what is currently known about diabetes education and care in rural geographical regions. Residents of rural areas are less likely to have access to health care providers, health insurance, or specialty care and are more likely to experience health care disparities as a result. Persons living in rural areas are likely to have greater burdens of chronic disease, including uncontrolled diabetes, and perceive their health as poorer than their urban counterparts.

A conventional literature review focused on type 1 and type 2 diabetes was completed using the search terms rural, diabetes, and education. The databases searched were CINAHL, EBSCO, Pub Med, and Medline. In all, 22 research articles that fit the inclusion criteria were identified.

Findings indicated that diabetes education for rural regions can be enhanced by a focus on family, culture, interdisciplinary teams, and technology.

Future rural research about diabetes care should carefully define rural, include gender-related studies that describe findings in terms of men and women, and focus on primary prevention.