The association between taking a course or class in self-managing diabetes with diabetic ocular complications including diabetic retinopathy: A cross-sectional study

Aims: Diabetes currently affects 30.3 million people in the United States. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between taking a course in self-managing diabetes and diabetic ocular complications including diabetic retinopathy diagnosis (OC-RD). Methods: The sample was from the 2017 CDC's BRFSS participants. We included adults who self-reported they had diabetes. The exposure included those who took a course in how to self-manage diabetes. The outcome was those told they had OC-RD by a doctor. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analysis were used to calculate the odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: The odds of OC-RD decreased by 30% for those who did not attend a course compared to those who did (OR 0.70; 95% CI 0.60−0.80). Patients who saw a doctor showed a 50% increase in the odds of OC-RD than those who did not (OR 1.50; 95% CI 1.20–1.90). Those earning above $15,000 had a 10% decreased likelihood of OC-RD every time income level increased. Conclusions: Taking a class on self-managing diabetes was associated with an increased risk of OC-RD in the diabetic population. Future studies may analyze how education will affect diabetic complications.