Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of the three groups at randomization
| Control (no SMBG) (n=151) | SMBG alone (n=147) | SMBG+ TeleCare (n=148) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 60.7 (10.98) | 62.9 (9.34) | 61.6 (9.82) |
| Men, n (%) | 88 (58) | 82 (56) | 88 (60) |
| Ethnicity: white1, n (%) | 135 (95) | 137 (99) | 133 (95) |
| Weight2, kg | 95.3 (19.42) | 95.0 (17.82) | 95.8 (20.84) |
| BMI3, kg/m² | 33.4 (6.03) | 33.5 (6.72) | 33.4 (6.66) |
| Waist circumference4, cm | 110.4 (14.09) | 109.5 (12.89) | 109.9 (13.77) |
| HbA1c, mmol/mol | 71.0 (11.74) | 69.8 (11.83) | 70.8 (12.53) |
| HbA1c, % | 8.7 (1.07) | 8.5 (1.08) | 8.6 (1.15) |
| Total cholesterol5, mmol/l | 4.7 (1.42) | 4.8 (1.31) | 4.5 (1.32) |
| Education6, n (%) | |||
| None | 37 (25) | 24 (16) | 29 (20) |
| O’ level stage | 37 (25) | 51 (35) | 41 (28) |
| Further education | 23 (15) | 27 (19) | 25 (17) |
| Higher education | 50 (33) | 37 (25) | 47 (32) |
| Other | 4 (3) | 7 (5) | 6 (4) |
| Employment7, n (%) | |||
| Employed | 57 (38) | 36 (25) | 43 (29) |
| Self‐employed | 17 (11) | 7 (5) | 9 (6) |
| Unemployed | 9 (6) | 14 (10) | 12 (8) |
| Retired | 68 (45) | 90 (61) | 83 (57) |
| Smoker8, n (%) | |||
| Yes | 16 (11) | 23 (16) | 19 (13) |
| No | 79 (52) | 72 (49) | 71 (48) |
| Previously | 56 (37) | 51 (35) | 58 (39) |
| Duration of diabetes, n (%) | |||
| 1 to 3 years | 30 (20) | 20 (14) | 28 (19) |
| 3 to 5 years | 29 (19) | 32 (22) | 23 (16) |
| 5 to 10 years | 53 (35) | 47 (32) | 55 (37) |
| >10 years | 39 (26) | 48 (33) | 42 (28) |
| Ever used SMBG, n % yes | 103 (68) | 104 (71) | 103 (70) |
| Diabetic complications: yes9, n (%) | 24 (16) | 35 (25) | 28 (19) |
| Diabetes medications10, n (%) | |||
| Monotherapy | 63 (42) | 54 (37) | 57 (39) |
| Dual therapy | 56 (37) | 50 (34) | 55 (37) |
| Triple therapy | 25 (17) | 29 (20) | 28 (19) |
| 4+ medications | 2 (1) | 0 | 2 (1) |
| No diabetes medications (diet only) | 5 (3) | 14 (9) | 6 (4) |
| Diabetes knowledge | |||
| Percent with correct answers to ADKnowl Q | 64.7 (25.2) | 66.2 (25.2) | 65.5 (25.3) |
ADKnowl Q, Audit of Diabetes Knowledge questionnaire.
Data are mean (sd), unless otherwise indicated.
Missing data: ethnicity, n = 25; weight, n = 18; BMI, n = 13; waist circumference, n = 22; total cholesterol, n = 3; education, n = 1; employment, n = 1; smoking, n = 1; complication, n = 11; and medication, n = 2.