Diabetes is an epidemic that has started to capture political attention in the United States because of the devastating health care costs associated with the disease. Researchers in other studies have concluded that additional education face-to-face (FTF) and FTF with alternative forms of diabetes communication (FTF plus) have been beneficial. However, there is very little information on the comparison of the two groups as mentioned above when comparing chronic limitations, self-perception, health status, and healthcare satisfaction as circumscribed by specific demographic population. This study was an investigation of the above variables and explored how specific demographic characteristics (age, gender, educational level, and race/ethnic background) may have an identifiable association with each diabetes education type, either FTF or FTF plus. This research involved the use of the social cognitive theory and the health belief model to help explain self-care behavior changes. This quantitative, cross-sectional study used secondary data from the 2016 National Health Interview Survey for analysis. A simple linear regression was used to understand health status and healthcare satisfaction. A logistical regression was used for chronic limitations, while controlling for demographics for all the variables. The study revealed FTF plus had an association with chronic limitations with race and education level, but age was not significant. After controlling for demographics, a person who has FTF plus has decreased odds of having chronic limitations, in comparison to someone who receives only FTF. The results from this study may aid formulation of future healthcare policies that focus on how to refer patients to multiple forums of diabetes education, while reducing healthcare costs.

The current study is part of a broader study called the Women’s Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) which aimed to examine various aspects of women’s life experiences. This study examined the moderating effect of rurality on several factors of healthcare in a sample of women between the ages of 18 and 50. Self-rated health (SRH) was hypothesized to predict healthcare satisfaction, healthcare adherence, and medical mistrust. Furthermore, rurality was hypothesized to weaken the relationships between SRH and healthcare satisfaction and adherence; it was further hypothesized to exacerbate the relationship between SRH and medical mistrust. A survey containing a single-item measure of SRH and rurality, a seven-item measure of medical mistrust, and an exploratory measure of both healthcare satisfaction and adherence, was uploaded to the Internet forum Redditt. Participants received informed consent and monetary compensation for their time. Bivariate correlations and moderation analysis was conducted on the resulting data. Self-rated health was found to be a significant predictor of healthcare satisfaction, healthcare adherence, and medical mistrust. Rurality was a nonsignificant moderator. Healthcare systems may consider enhancing patient portfolios with a measure of SRH. This may have implications for improved quality of care and health outcomes. Limitations within the study included the participant demographics, which were mostly White and of a high socioeconomic status, as well as the broader survey from which this study originated. Future studies may consider comparing populations from a high socioeconomic status to populations from a low socioeconomic status.