Advisor
Halide Porras
Course
Practice-Informed Research in Health Systems
Document Type
Capstone
Publication Date
Fall 12-1-2024
Purpose
Diabetes continues to impact the lives of millions around the world. Gender gaps in the healthcare system continue to become a barrier for those dealing with chronic conditions such as Diabetes Mellitus. The main question that the researchers want to address is: Does gender play a role in motivation and attitudes towards making a change in diabetes health outcomes, and if so, what are some potential barriers for each group? “Furthermore, education, income, and psychosocial factors relate to the development of obesity and diabetes differently in men and women” (Kautzky-Willer et al., 2016). The researchers utilized the diabetes distress core scale combined with the Motivation and Attitudes Towards Changing Health (MATCH) assessment, along with open-ended questions about the participant’s ethnicity and gender to determine how both men and women experience diabetes distress, their willingness to change, their ability, and their feelings of if the change is worthwhile. Through this study, the researchers can identify gender gaps in care and propose actionable solutions to enhance and promote gender-inclusive treatment for the health and well-being of men and women with diabetes. The goal is to ensure these individuals receive equal standards of care and support as their counterparts, promoting better health outcomes and quality of life.
Methods
The survey utilized in the study was designed to gather qualitative and quantitative data. The researchers also included open-ended questions that can measure the individual’s feelings about whether their gender/ethnicity is a barrier to their diabetes management. Demographics that were also assessed included level of education, income, and age, which can also contribute to the individual’s diabetes distress levels. Overall, the survey is structured to measure any barriers placed on the individual’s treatment. To be more inclusive, there is a distinction between the participant’s sex assigned at birth and gender identity.
Findings & Conclusions
Existing research shows a common theme that women experience more obstacles and challenges with their health care than men. Most studies involve large population cohorts and rely on quantitative data from medical records, healthcare utilization, and treatment adherence rates. Fewer studies utilize qualitative data to examine diabetes management. Additionally, previous studies focus on binary gender categories, just as many healthcare facilities and providers do. As a result, there is limited understanding of how gender identity impacts diabetes management. The Diabetes Distress Core Scale reflects the degree of intensity and the amount of diabetes distress reported by the participant. Higher scores indicate more significant distress. Through the 23 responses, the male group had an average score of 2.069. The female group had an average score of 3.180. For the MATCH scale, the three identified areas of motivation (Willingness, Able, and Worthwhile) are scored separately. Through 23 responses, the total of all three areas per participant is averaged out. This average reflects their overall MATCH score. The total average for female participants was 3.635. The total average for male participants was 3.913. The researchers found that women felt that their gender affected their diabetes care marginally more than males. 3 out of the 14 women felt some barriers due to gender, with most of these women being in the higher income bracket. At the same time, none of the 9 males felt any barriers to their care due to gender, regardless of their income level. Ethnicity, however, was proven to be a more significant barrier to care, with 6 of the 14 women and 4 of the 9 men stating that culture had much to do with their barriers to care and their motivation to change. The results of this study highlight the importance of ensuring that both women and men receive equal standards of diabetes care. Due to cultural implications and gender norms, women and people of color are experiencing different levels of care. These individuals were interested in receiving more information on diabetes care, and therefore, more efforts need to be taken so that people with diabetes are supported regardless of their gender, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.
Recommendations
Some recommendations include more gender inclusivity in health care guidance for secondary treatments of diabetes, especially for women who have had high levels of distress. This can include therapeutic interventions that target gender norms or simply training on gender inclusivity in diabetes clinics. One recommendation for further research would be to maximize the sample size by reaching out to more diabetes-based organizations.
Recommended Citation
Barge, Cory; Gervacio, Jhordan; and Wilkinson, Lauren, "Battle of the Sexes: How Does Gender Influence Diabetes Care Attitudes and Motivations" (2024). MSW Capstone Conference. 13.
https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/msw-conference/13
