BELIEFS ABOUT SMOKING AND DIABETES CARE

The purpose of this study was to address the following questions: 1) D o smokers with diabetes believe that cigarettes have favorable outcome s associated with diabetes management? 2) Do smokers with diabetes bel ieve that quitting smoking negatively impacts diabetes management? 3) Do smokers with diabetes perceive significant others as being supporti ve of attempts to quit smoking? and 4) What is the relationship betwee n these factors and attitude toward quitting smoking? Patients with in sulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) completed a measure of Attitu de Toward Quitting Smoking, which assessed desire and confidence in ab ility to achieve cessation, and the Diabetes and Smoking Beliefs Quest ionnaire, which assessed beliefs regarding cigarettes and diabetes man agement. Smokers whose attitudes reflected less desire to quit and les s confidence in doing so reported that cigarettes had utility in diabe tes management, that quitting has negative effects on diabetes, and pe rceived significant others as only moderately supportive of attempts t o quit smoking. Implications of these findings for diabetes education are discussed.