Secondary Prevention Behavior Among Men and Women with Diabetes in Texas

Davlin, Stacy L., Secondary Prevention Behavior Among Men and Women with Diabetes in Texas. Master of Public Health (Epidemiology), December, 2001, 31 pp., 4 tables, reference list, 32 titles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether gender influences the utilization of secondary preventative health practices for diabetes. Data from the Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) for the year 2000 was used to examine possible differences between men and women. The questions examined regarded foot care, glucose monitoring, HbA1c checks, eye examinations, doctor visits, diabetes classes, flu and pneumonia vaccinations, diet, exercise, and smoking. There were 135 men and 170 women for a total of 305 respondents in this study. This study found that women exhibited marginally better prevention behaviors across most of the questions examined, but in general there was little difference in behaviors by gender. A statistically significant gender difference was found in that women more often visited the doctor in the previous year than men. This difference was also found when the data were stratified by age and race/ethnicity.