"The clinical implication is that broadening the focus of care to include family relationships of patients with type 2 diabetes offers health care professionals a way to influence better diabetes management," says, Catherine A. Chesla, a registered nurse and professor at the University of California in San Francisco.

She and her colleagues assessed the association between a number of family factors, beliefs, and relationships, and disease management in 159 African-Americans with type 2 diabetes. The average patient age and time since diagnosis was 54.2 and 7.68 years, respectively.

"As hypothesized, disease management is better in African-American patients from families believing optimistically that life has order, meaning, and manageability."

These characteristics are associated with better patient morale including fewer depressive symptoms as well as better self-reported general health and diabetes-related quality of life.

In contrast, unresolved family conflict and negative family emotional tone had an adverse effect on disease management by African-American patients. "Emotional agility, specifically the family's ability to resolve diabetes-related conflicts, was the key feature of family life" associated with good diabetes management.

Most diabetes management is in the patient's hands. Including significant family members in treatment, and assisting patients and their family members to negotiate differences regarding diabetes care in the home, holds promise for improving personal management of this complex disease.

Source: Diabetes In Control.com: Diabetes Care 2004;27:2850-2855.