This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Erratum Corrected Article An erratum has been published Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Steinman, R. A. Articles by Birshtein, B. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Steinman, R. A. Articles by Birshtein, B. K. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Treatment and Awareness of Type 2 Diabetes in Beijing, China, Compared to New York

From Barnard College, New York, New York (Ms Steinman), and the Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York (Dr Birshtein).

Correspondence to Rachel A. Steinman, BA, 46 Avis Drive, New Rochelle, NY 10804 (steinman4{at}optonline.net, rachel.steinman{at}gmail.com).

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine awareness and treatment of type 2 diabetes among Beijingers.

Methods

Surveys generated in Mandarin and English were used to poll 75 Beijingers with type 2 diabetes, 29 Beijingers without diabetes, and 23 New Yorkers without diabetes. Beijing data were compared with diabetes statistics on exercise and blood glucose testing frequency from the 2002 New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Community Health Survey and the 2003, 2004, and 2005 New York State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.

Results

The surveyed Beijingers with diabetes used primarily only Western pills to treat their type 2 diabetes, and a smaller percentage used traditional Chinese medicine. Most of the surveyed Beijingers with diabetes wrote that they exercised regularly. Most exercised at least 7 times per week. About half of the surveyed Beijingers with diabetes had no food restrictions. Virtually all of the surveyed Beijingers with diabetes tested their blood glucose, but approximately half of these individuals tested less than 1 time per week. Beijingers with diabetes were less aware than New York respondents who did not have diabetes of what diabetes is and the consequences of poor diabetes treatment. Beijingers who did not have diabetes were less aware than New Yorkers who did not have diabetes of what diabetesis, the symptoms, the causes, the treatments, and the consequences of poor diabetes treatment.

Conclusions

The results indicate that compared to New Yorkers with diabetes, Beijingers with diabetes tended to exercise much more frequently but tested their blood glucose less frequently. With the projected increase of type 2 diabetes in Beijing, more efforts need to be made to increase the frequency of blood glucose testing and basic diabetes awareness.

The Diabetes Educator, Vol. 33, No. 2, 282-290 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0145721707299262


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?