How People Feel About Diabetes When They Don't Have It

morefocus recently surveyed people's attitudes towards diabetes. Nearly 700 answered questions regarding what they know and how they feel about the condition. Eight-three percent of respondents have one or more family member with diabetes.

 

Interestingly, 30 percent of people look to health websites before talking to their doctor when seeking out information about diabetes. Unsurprisingly, people with at least one diabetic family member tended to be more informed: 67 percent claimed to be satisfied with their knowledge of diabetes. For those with a stronger knowledge of diabetes, medical journals tended to serve as their primary source of information.

People's biggest concern about possibly having diabetes revolved around potential long-term complications (24 percent). However, the second most popular anxiety lay in respondents not being able to eat what they might want. In fact, food and eating tended to be a general concern for most people. Seventy-four percent admitted that they would be more likely to eat at a restaurant that listed the nutritional information of its dishes on the menu.

 

morefocus' survey found that people without diabetes that have at least one diabetic in their family tend to be well informed, gathering their knowledge primarily from health websites. While they are primarily concerned about possible complications, dietary restrictions also proved to be an anxiety that would ultimately play a role in the restaurants people would chose.

 

Attitudes Towards Diabetes Survey
Question/Answer	Responses	Percentage
Has one or more of your family members been diagnosed with diabetes?	585
Yes	487	83.25%
No	98	16.75%
Who was diagnosed with diabetes? (Select all that apply)	486
Child	95	19.55%
Spouse	96	19.75%
Parent	207	42.59%
Grandparent	136	27.98%
Brother/Sister	70	14.40%
Aunt/Uncle/Cousin	128	26.34%
Other	43	8.85%
I take better care of myself since my family member was diagnosed with diabetes.	477
Strongly Agree	95	19.92%
Agree	136	28.51%
Moderately Agree	125	26.21%
Neither Agree nor Disagree	67	14.05%
Moderately Disagree	22	4.61%
Disagree	24	5.03%
Strongly Disagree	8	1.68%
I appreciate my own life more since my family member was diagnosed with diabetes.	469
Strongly Agree	109	23.24%
Agree	155	33.05%
Moderately Agree	90	19.19%
Neither Agree nor Disagree	81	17.27%
Moderately Disagree	11	2.35%
Disagree	20	4.26%
Strongly Disagree	3	0.64%
What is your primary source for information about diabetes? (Select one)	573
Family/Friends	87	15.18%
Health web sites	164	28.62%
Doctor	120	20.94%
Diabetic counseling	41	7.16%
Books	54	9.42%
Newspapers/Magazines	35	6.11%
Television news	10	1.75%
Medical journals	62	10.82%
If you had diabetes, what do you think would be the biggest inconvenience? (Select one)	553
Needing to take medication (pills, insulin, etc.)	100	18.08%
Needing to test blood sugar	73	13.20%
Needing to exercise	11	1.99%
Not being able to eat what I want	118	21.34%
Working my daily schedule around diabetes	40	7.23%
Worrying about a hypoglycemic episode	30	5.42%
Worrying about possible complications	132	23.87%
Costs of consumable supplies	50	9.04%
Would you be embarrassed if a diabetic non-family member tested their blood sugar levelsin front of you?	562
Yes	15	2.67%
No	528	93.95%
Not Sure	19	3.38%
An estimated 18.2 million Americans have diabetes, and 5.2 million of them don’t even know it. In your opinion, should the government provide free diabetic screenings to anyone who wants one?	550
Yes	475	86.36%
No	75	13.64%
Would you be willing to approve a tax increase to support free diabetic screenings?	463
Yes	221	47.73%
No	67	14.47%
Not Sure	175	37.80%
I am satisfied with my knowledge about diabetes.	550
Strongly Agree	67	12.18%
Agree	137	24.91%
Moderately Agree	174	31.64%
Neither Agree nor Disagree	47	8.55%
Moderately Disagree	64	11.64%
Disagree	48	8.73%
Strongly Disagree	13	2.36%
I would be more likely to eat at a restaurant if they offered a menu thatlisted the carbohydrate, calorie, fat, sodium and cholesterol contents of their food.	545
Strongly Agree	155	28.44%
Agree	157	28.81%
Moderately Agree	92	16.88%
Neither Agree nor Disagree	87	15.96%
Moderately Disagree	19	3.49%
Disagree	28	5.14%
Strongly Disagree	7	1.28%
What is your gender?	536
Male	140	26.12%
Female	396	73.88%
What is your age?	549
17 or younger	25	4.55%
18-24	49	8.93%
25-44	180	32.79%
45-64	248	45.17%
65 or older	47	8.56%