The Influence of Individualised Supports on the Self-Efficacy of Employed Diabetics in Hawai'i: Findings from a Mixed Method Study

Self-management is a key component of diabetes care and enhancing patient self-efficacy is an important factor. Typical diabetes education programs include strategies to increase self-efficacy, but little information exists about the effectiveness of such programs within Asian and Pacific populations. The Hawai'i Demonstration to Maintain Independence and Employment was a federally funded, community-based randomised trial in which treatment group participants received individualised life coaching and pharmacist counselling over a 12-month period. The study measured changes in diabetes self-efficacy among treatment and control group participants using repeated measures analysis of covariance. Focus group findings provided a comprehensive picture of participants' perception of their experiences in the trial and more specifically the individualised intervention. There was a significant effect of the intervention on diabetes self-efficacy at the p < .01 level [ F(1, 187) = 10.40, p = .002]. These findings demonstrate the efficacy of individually tailored approaches to diabetes self-management within a diverse, employed sample.