ADULT CHILDREN’S EDUCATION AND PARENTS DIABETES SELF-CARE BEHAVIORS IN MEXICO

Abstract

An estimated 11.4 million Mexican adults have diabetes, a condition with potentially serious complications. Fortunately, optimal self-care behaviors such as healthy eating and physical activity can reduce the risk of complications. Optimal diabetes self-care is influenced by many factors. One largely unexplored factor is the educational level of one’s adult children. Using data from the 2012 Mexican Health and Aging Study, we examined the association between adult children’s education and diabetes self-care behaviors in adults age 65 and over. Respondents were asked if they “follow a special diet to control their diabetes”, “exercised or did hard physical work an average of three or more times a week” in the previous two years, and how frequently they check their blood sugar. A total of 1,311 older adults reported having diabetes and had complete data on all study variables (mean age=71.7 years, 55% female, 95% had less than a primary education). The odds of following a special diet (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.04, 2.94) and performing at least weekly blood sugar checks (OR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.13, 3.52) were significantly higher among older adults with the most educated children relative to those with the least educated children. No significant effect was evident for physical activity. Although more research is needed, findings suggest that older Mexican adults with diabetes may benefit from having children with higher education.