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February 9, 2010
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Darryl Geddes - 315-464-4828 - FAX: 315-464-4838
NIH study to examine merits of spouse, partner involvement in diabetes care
 SYRACUSE, N.Y. — A study under way at SUNY Upstate Medical University will examine whether patients with diabetes are better able to manage their chronic illness when their spouses or partners are actively involved in diabetes counseling and education programs.
The study, funded by a $480,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health, is being headed by Paula Trief, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, who found in earlier research that healthy marital relationships can positively influence one’s management and care of diabetes.
“This study builds on these earlier findings, but takes us in a new direction,” Trief said. “For this study we will compare how diabetes outcomes are affected when both spouse or partner and patient are actively engaged in diabetes counseling as compared to working with the patient alone."
The intervention will be in the form of phone counseling with a diabetes educator and therapist. Couples participating in the study will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. In Group 1, only the patient will participate in three phone counseling sessions that provide diabetes self-management education. In Group 2, only the patient with diabetes will participate in the three diabetes education calls plus nine individualized diet and activity counseling sessions. In Group 3, participants will also take part in 12 counseling calls, but counseling will be conducted with both the patient and the spouse or partner. Both patients and partners have to be willing to participate and complete assessments.
“Good diabetes management often is a result of lifestyle and diet changes,” Trief said. “This study will show whether giving the partner or spouse an active role in this treatment regimen benefits the patient.”
For more information on the study, please call Jennifer Hartsig at 315-464-5724.
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