Veterans' Experiences of Support in Managing Comorbid Sleep Apnea and Type 2 Diabetes.
Yeonsu Song, Sarah E Choi, Anna Papazyan and 5 others
PMID 37199499WHAT IT FOUND
43% of veterans with diabetes and sleep apnea got family help with diabetes, and 27% with PAP.
Most of those helped rated it very helpful. Current PAP users had lower HbA1c, but the survey cannot show cause.
Key findings
0143% of respondents received assistance/support with diabetes management from family or a friend, and 74% of those rated it very/extremely helpful.
02Only 27% reported receiving assistance/support with PAP use from family or friends, and 69% of those rated overall support very/extremely helpful.
03Current PAP users had lower HbA1c than non-PAP users (6.6 vs 7.3), while family support was not associated with PAP use or HbA1c levels.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Conducted in one local VA health care system, so results may not apply to veterans elsewhere or non-veterans. Most respondents were men (97%), only 7 women remained after excluding women in sensitivity analysis, and women were not oversampled, so support patterns may differ for women. Response rate was low (25%), and responders were older and had higher BMI than nonresponders, so response bias is possible. The survey items were face-valid but not fully psychometrically validated. Because this was a cross-sectional survey, PAP use cannot be shown to cause lower HbA1c or better health; sleep apnea severity and other factors were not measured. Family support was self-reported and not associated with PAP use or HbA1c; subgroup findings may be affected by small numbers, marital status, early PAP use, and other unmeasured factors. Alternative OSA treatments, such as oral appliances, were not queried.
Declared interests
The article lists U.S. government, P.H.S., NIH extramural, and non-U.S. government research support. All authors declared no relevant financial conflicts of interest. One author is president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine; the article states the work is her own independent work and does not represent the views of that organization.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lower HbA1c among current PAP users as proof that PAP use improves diabetes control. This was a cross-sectional survey with low response, mostly men, and no measurement of sleep apnea severity or other factors. Do not read family or friend support as improving PAP use or HbA1c either, because family support was not associated with either outcome.