Investigating Racial and Ethnic Differences in Diabetes Self-Management Education Among Adults With Diabetes

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine racial and ethnic differences in diabetes self-management education (DSME) participation among adults with diabetes. Methods: Population-based, cross-sectional data from the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System diabetes module were analyzed. Study cohort included 9881 adults age 18 years or older with self-reported diabetes living in 11 US states, Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico. The outcome variable was participation in DSME. Weighted descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were computed to investigate the association between race and ethnicity and participation in DSME, adjusting for self-reported social determinants of health factors (eg, sex, education, employment, health insurance). Results: Overall, 19.3% self-identified as non-Hispanic Black, 16.5% as Hispanic, and 59.9% as non-Hispanic White. Of participants, 44.3% were between 66 and 80 years old, and 50.4% were women. Half (50.1%) reported participating in DSME, and 78.5% had seen clinicians for diabetes-related care 1 to 5 times in the past year. Hispanic participants were less likely to report participation in DSME (28.5%) compared to non-Hispanic Black (60.3%) and non-Hispanic White (53.4%) participants (P < .001). Adults with diabetes who were less likely to participate in DSME tend to be unmarried, have high school or lower-level education, and not exercise regularly. Conclusions: Racial and ethnic differences exist in DSME participation. Because DSME has been shown to improve diabetes outcomes, there is a need to develop strategies promoting equity in DSME participation, particularly among Hispanic populations, to reduce health disparities in diabetes care.