SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth, Phase 3: Cohort Study - California Center

Kaiser Foundation Research Institute, Oakland CA

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Project Summary SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth (SEARCH) is an on-going, multi-center study containing the largest and most ethnically diverse population of youth with diabetes ever studied in the US. In response to RFA-DP10-001, Component B, the SEARCH Cohort Study will utilize this unique resource by continuing the study of selected SEARCH participants to address the following research Aims: 1) assess the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors for selected markers of chronic microvascular (retinopathy, nephropathy, and autonomic neuropathy) and macrovascular complications (hypertension, arterial stiffness) of diabetes; 2) assess the incidence and risk factors for acute complications of diabetes including serious hypoglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis ; 3) conduct surveillance of mortality; and 4) determine the degree to which barriers of care, quality of care, and transition to adult care impact diabetes-related health outcomes including quality of life. Overlaid across these Aims, we will focus on the impact of race/ethnicity and other sociocultural factors, and biochemical dimensions of diabetes type, on diabetes-related health outcomes. The SEARCH Cohort Study will conduct an in-person research study visit on SEARCH participants incident in 2002 or later, with duration of diabetes > 5 years and with baseline data completed (expected n=3699). During this study medical history, anthropometric, biochemical, physiologic, and survey data will be collected and analyzed. The SEARCH California Center is located within Kaiser Permanente's Department of Research and Evaluation in Pasadena California. Youth from the California SEARCH Center that will be included in this Cohort Study (n=424) are very racially/ethnically diverse and include 118 non-Hispanic White youth (110 with type 1 diabetes and 8 with type 2 diabetes) and 306 minority youth (209 with type 1 diabetes and 97 with type 2 diabetes). Half of all youth seen by this SEARCH center are Hispanic, the majority of which are Mexican American; while about 15% are African American and 5% are Asian/Pacific Islander. This study will exploit the size and ethnic diversity of the study population to identify differences in both processes of care and health outcomes by traditional, clinical diabetes type; by the major race/ethnic groups in the US; and by employing a novel approach to segregate traditional clinical diabetes types by pathophysiologic dimensions. Thus, the SEARCH cohort study has a high likelihood of making a significant impact on the clinical care of youth with diabetes from all the major ethnic groups in the US and on national public health policy.