In recent recommendations for diabe

In recent recommendations for diabetes education, Glasgow and Eakin stated, “Toproduce lasting behavior change, the patient’s social environment must be taken intoaccount, and plans made for ongoing support of self-management behaviors” (p. 438).76Results of the present review support this recommendation as well and point to severalmore specific implications for practice. First, although clinicians and health educatorsalready acknowledge the important social context within which chronic illness selfmanagementoccurs, a greater recognition that social influences can be both positive andnegative in their effects is needed. Assessments of the types of social influences that existfor particular patients and clients, specific to individual self-management behaviors,would be a useful first step in enhancing helpful social influences and minimizing harmfulones. Paying particular attention to social influences on dietary regimens seems warranted,given that diet seems especially vulnerable to social influences. Equally importantas the recognition and assessment of important social influences is the need to enableindividuals to successfully manage their interpersonal relationships. Self-managementeducation should incorporate skills and strategies designed to minimize social influencesthat hinder self-management and enhance social interactions that facilitate successfulself-management.