Aims: Understanding health behaviors of people with diabetes can inform strategies to reduce diabetes-related burdens.
Methods: We used serial cross-sectional National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys over 2007-2018 to characterize self-reported health behaviors among non-pregnant adults, with and without self-reported diabetes. We estimated weighted proportions meeting recommended health behaviors overall and by sociodemographic and glycemic levels.
Results: During 2007-2010, proportions of adults with diabetes meeting recommendations were: 61.9 % for added sugar consumption (<10 % of total calories), 17.2 % for physical activity, 68.2 % for weight management, 14.4 % avoided alcohol, 57.5 % avoided tobacco, 34.1 % got adequate sleep, and 97.5 % saw a healthcare provider (compared with 19.2 %, 33.6 %, 68.8 %, 8.5 %, 44.2 %, 33.0 %, and 82.6 % respectively, among those without diabetes). During 2015-2018, adjusted analyses showed more adults with diabetes met sleep (+16.7 percentage-points[pp]; 95 % CI: 10.6,22.8) and physical activity goals (+8.3 pp; 95 % CI: 3.8,12.8), and fewer met added sugar recommendations (-8.8 pp; 95 % CI -14.7, -2.9). Meeting added sugar, physical activity, and weight management varied by age, education, and glycemic level, but not race and ethnicity.
Conclusions: During 2007-2018, there was some improvement in health behaviors. Improving self-management may require targeted interventions for different segments, like age groups or glycemic levels, among those with diabetes.
Keywords: Diabetes; Diet; Epidemiology; Lifestyle Medicine; Physical Activity.
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