Abstract
We investigated the family environment of senile non-insulin dependent diabetic patients and compared their glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels according to factars mentianed belaw. Ninety-four senile diabetics out of 304 outpatient diabetics were interviewed regarding their family environment: marital state, number of generatians of family living together, the person who cooks patient's food, etc. We classified and compared the patients' HbA1c levels according to several environmental factors. The mean (±SD) HbA1c levels were 7.1±1.2% in the patients of a onegenerationfamily, 7.2±1.2% in those of a two-generation family, and 6.5±1.1% in those of a three-generation family (one-generation vs. three-generation; P=0.04). HbA1c levels were 7.1±1.2% in the patients whose daily meals were cooked by themselves, 7.1±1.1% by their spouses, and 6.6±1.2% by others (such as their daughters or daughters-in-law)(patients vs. others; P=0.09). There were no si, gnif icant differences in marital state (single vs. married=6. 8±1.2% vs. 7.1±1.2%; P=0.35) or gender (male vs. female=6.9±1.1% vs. 7.1±1.3%; P=0.41). These findings suggest that the family environmental, factors especially the number of generations living together, have an infiuence an the metabolic control in senile diabetic patients.
