Kaiser Permanente reports that partners of people with newly diagnosed diabetes are more likely to improve their health behaviours than partners of people without the disease. Kaiser researchers say a diabetes diagnosis could be a 'teachable moment' to encourage healthy lifestyles and improve health habits. The analysis matched each person newly diagnosed with diabetes and their co-residing partner with five persons without diabetes and their co-residing partners, and assessed changes in eight health behaviours for a year pre- and post-diagnosis. Among the findings:
- Partners of people with type 2 diabetes were about 50% more likely to take a weight management class, and they were 25% more likely to take smoking cessation medication, compared to similar partners of people without type 2 diabetes; and
- The likelihood that partners of people with diabetes would participate in other health behaviours - glucose screening, clinically meaningful weight loss, lipid screening, influenza vaccination and blood pressure screening - was between 2% and 7% higher, when compared to partners of people without diabetes.
Related News:
Editorial: Teachable moments for patients, practices, and systems - Annals of Family Medicine
Diabetes diagnosis 'silver lining'? Other family members' health may improve - HealthDay