Objective: To determine whether competing demands for time affect diabetes self-care behaviors, processes of care, and intermediate outcomes.
Research design and methods: We used survey and medical record data from 5,478 participants in Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD) and hierarchical regression models to examine the cross-sectional associations between competing demands for time and diabetes outcomes, including self-management, processes of care, and intermediate health outcomes.
Results: Fifty-two percent of participants reported no competing demands, 7% reported caregiving responsibilities only, 36% reported employment responsibilities only, and 6% reported both caregiving and employment responsibilities. For both women and men, employment responsibilities (with or without caregiving responsibilities) were associated with lower rates of diabetes self-care behaviors, worse processes of care, and, in men, worse HbA(1c).
Conclusions: Accommodations for competing demands for time may promote self-management and improve the processes and outcomes of care for employed adults with diabetes.