Link between glycemic control and family support among Nigerians with type 2 diabetes mellitus

In the current issue of Family Medicine and Community Health (Volume 6, Number 4, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.15212/FMCH.2018.0115, Nnenna A. Osuji, Oluwaseun Solomon Ojo, Sunday O. Malomo, Peter T. Sogunle, Ademola O. Egunjobi and Olufisayo O. Odebunmi of the Family Medicine Department, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Nigeria describe how Nigeria and other sub-Saharan African countries are currently experiencing a rapid increase in the incidence of noncommunicable diseases, especially diabetes mellitus (DM), as a result of increasing urbanization and changing lifestyles.

People with diseases such as DM that require lifelong management may be tired of taking medications and adhering to the lifestyle modifications over time. This underscores the importance of motivation in people with DM. The authors consider whether support from the family can motivate people with DM to improve self-management behaviors and ultimately their glycemic control? Few studies have looked at the relationship between perceived family support and glycemic control among people with type 2 DM.