Romantic relationships and type 2 diabetes: The role of invisible social control

This study aimed to determine whether invisible social control provided by a romantic partner is associated with improved objective glucose outcomes for patients with Type 2 diabetes. Social control reflects a partner's attempt to modify or influence a patient's health behaviors. We hypothesized that the best outcome for all continuous glucose monitoring measures would be captured by an interaction condition reflecting invisible social control.

Patients with Type 2 diabetes and their partners (N = 63 couples) completed an 8-day daily diary period between 2016 and 2017. Self-report measures of social control receipt and provision were obtained each evening from patients and partners and patients wore a continuous glucose monitor throughout the diary period. Outcomes of daily glucose mean, standard deviation, time in range, and coefficient of variation were computed and two-way interactions between social control receipt and social control provision were probed and plotted.

The two-way interaction significantly predicted daily glucose mean, standard deviation, and time in range, such that when patients reported no social control receipt, but partners reported social control provision, patients showed improvements in objective glucose measures. We found no significant effect for coefficient of variation.

This study was the first to use an invisible social control framework to examine the daily dyadic associations between partner social control provision, patient social control receipt, and four objectively measured continuous glucose monitoring outcomes. Findings suggest that the visibility of social control provided by a romantic partner may be predictive of glycemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).