Diabetes afflicts approximately 17 million Americans, and a new study by faculty in our college will examine how married and cohabiting couples respond when one partner must cope with the disease.

Brown uses a series of questionnaires and interviews to study how couples cope with dietary adjustments in response to Type 2 diabetes.

Food scientist Lynne Brown says her study, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, grew out of an earlier, smaller study of 20 couples in which one partner had a recent diagnosis of Type 2 (or non-insulin-dependent) diabetes. All of the couples had trouble dealing with the dietary changes required by diabetes, but Brown observed three patterns of adjustment among the group.

“In some couples, the diabetic was almost totally responsible for managing the diet on his or her own,” she says. “There were also couples in which the nondiabetic partner planned most of the diet, and couples in which they shared responsibilities.

“Many times, if one member of a couple is diabetic, both will need to change food choices and negotiate diet adjustments that are satisfactory. Many couples aren’t able to do that. In couples where the nondiabetic plans the diet, dietary rules can feel imposed. The diabetic resents this, and the diet doesn’t last or the nondiabetic spouse burns out.”
Brown says couples who work together can negotiate new food patterns and set up rules that work for both. If one partner gets sick, the other can assist.

“The survey will help us identify the different types of couples and, in conjunction with educational materials we hope to develop, will enable diabetes educators to counsel couples so they can overcome barriers unique to implementing diet,” Brown says. “So far, we’ve surveyed diabetics who have managed to adapt to diet regardless of circumstances. Now we need diabetics who might be having difficulty adjusting to the diet, as well as those who are just getting started in the process, so we can generate an instrument that works with those situations.”

The study calls for a total of 200 married or cohabiting couples. Only the diabetic would be required to complete a series of questionnaires. Because Hispanic and African American minorities suffer much more from the disease (with both higher incidences and worse outcomes than the general population), Brown is especially interested in getting volunteers from those groups. Participants in the study must

• have been a Type 2 diabetic for a year or longer
• be 45 years of age or older
• have lived with their spouse or partner for at least one year
• use dietary management to control their diabetes, even if on oral medication

In addition, volunteers must have completed a hospital-sponsored course on diabetes care or received similar individual instruction in the last three years and be able to provide a recent HbA1c measure.

“Volunteering for this study is a great way for people with Type 2 diabetes to help other diabetics,” Brown says.

Volunteers will complete questionnaires during one visit to their nearest Penn State Cooperative Extension county office, followed by two telephone interviews, and will receive a cash gift and a dietary analysis. Couples can call 800-406-0556 toll-free to volunteer or to learn more about the study.

—Gary Abdullah