Prospective Study on Influence of Psychosocial Factors on Glycemic Control in Japanese Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

The authors prospectively assessed the causal relationship between psychosocial factors and glycemic control in 256 Japanese outpatients with Type 2 diabetes. Using structural-equation modeling, they first developed a causal model in which glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at 6 months after assessment was influenced by the baseline psychosocial factors. Then, the reliability of the causal model was investigated with measurement of HbA1c at 12 months after baseline. Self-efficacy directly reinforced adherence, and adherence had a direct association with future HbA1c. Other psychosocial factors, including social support, diabetes-related distress, daily burden, and emotion-focused coping prospectively influenced HbA1c indirectly through self-efficacy.