Are barriers to treatment adherence associated with treatment Adherence and health promotion among African American and non-Hispanic White American adults with type 2 diabetes?

Numerous barriers, including depression, have been shown to prevent adult patients with type 2 diabetes from engaging in appropriate treatment behaviors (Horowitz et al., 2003; Reynolds et al., 2005). However, further research is needed to delineate the relationships between such barriers and treatment adherence, especially among culturally diverse patients. In this study, the Adherence to Treatment Measure, the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile-II, and a Barriers to Treatment Adherence Measure were administered to 120 adults with type 2 diabetes (91 participants from African American descent and 29 participants from non-Hispanic White descent) to investigate the relationship between barriers to treatment adherence and engagement in both treatment adherence behaviors and a health promoting lifestyle. Data were analyzed according to the Difference Model Research Approach. Among the African American participants, treatment adherence had a significant negative association with barriers to treatment adherence (r = -.20, p < .05) and depression (r = -.20, p < .05), and a significant positive association with engagement in a health promoting lifestyle (r = .40, p < .001). Among non-Hispanic White participants, treatment adherence had a significant negative association with barriers to treatment adherence (r = -.40, p < .05) and depression (r = -.40, p < .05), and a significant positive association with engagement in a health promoting lifestyle (r = .80, p < .00). Implications of these findings for similar future research and for promoting treatment adherence among African American adults and non-Hispanic White American adults with type 2 diabetes are presented.