Table 1 Patient characteristics (N = 269)
Age, mean ± SD (range), years | 64.4 ± 7.4 (31–75) |
Male gender, n (%) | 148 (55.0) |
Education, n (%) | Â |
 Middle school | 83 (30.9) |
 High school | 123 (45.7) |
 Vocational school/2-year college | 23 (8.6) |
 University or higher | 33 (12.3) |
 No answer | 7 (2.6) |
Self-rated economic status, n (%) | Â |
 Lower | 85 (31.6) |
 Middle | 142 (52.8) |
 Upper | 38 (14.1) |
 No answer | 4 (1.5) |
Internet use by themselves, n (%) | Â |
 Yes | 58 (21.6) |
 No | 205 (76.2) |
 No answer | 6 (2.2) |
Social support, mean ± SD (range) | 5.1 ± 1.3 (1–7) |
Time since the diagnosis of diabetes, mean ± SD (range), years | 11.0 ± 9.4 (1–48) |
Hemoglobin A1c, mean ± SD (range), % | 7.6 ± 1.1 (5.6–13.1) |
BMI, mean ± SD (range), kg/m2 | 24.8 ± 3.9 (15.6–43.6) |
Understanding of diabetes care, mean ± SD (range) | 3.78 ± 0.75 (1–5) |
Self-efficacy for diabetes management, mean ± SD (range) | 2.69 ± 0.58 (1–4) |
Number of oral glucose-lowering drugs, n (%) | Â |
 None | 77 (28.6) |
 One | 107 (39.8) |
 Two | 62 (23.0) |
 More than three | 23 (8.6) |
Insulin use, n (%) | 59 (21.9) |
Complications, n (%) | Â |
 None | 153 (56.9) |
 Retinopathy | 45 (16.7) |
 Nephropathy | 75 (27.9) |
 Neuropathy | 20 (7.4) |
 Ischemic heart disease | 19 (7.1) |
 Stroke | 15 (5.6) |