SOCIAL SUPPORT AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADULTS WITH DIABETES, PART 2 - A REVIEW

Diabetes mellitus affects African Americans in disproportionate number s relative to whites. Proper management of this disease is critical be cause of the increased morbidity and mortality associated with poor di abetes management. The role of social support in promoting diabetes ma nagement and improved glycemic control among African Americans is a li ttle-explored area. This review, the second in a two-part series, exam ines the relationship between social support and glycemic control amon g African-American adults with diabetes. The main findings of the stud y are that African Americans tend to rely more heavily than whites on their informal social networks to meet their disease management needs and that social support is significantly associated with improved diab etes management among members of this population. However, there remai ns a critical need to systematically include substantial numbers of Af rican-American respondents in studies examining the relationship betwe en social support and glycemic control. Only then can the effects of a ge, gender, socioeconomic status, and other variables on this relation ship in African Americans become clear and interventions incorporating relevant aspects of social support be developed.