Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Management of Diabetes

Miami University Oxford, Oxford OH

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Abstract

[unreadable] DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. An estimated 18.2 million people in the U.S. now have DM (5 million are undiagnosed), reflecting an approximate 100% increase over the past two decades. The incidence is escalating, occurs at younger ages, and the burdens of DM fall most heavily on minority adults. Estimates of the lifetime risk of developing DM among people bom in the U.S. in 2000 are now one-in-three. Despite the successful development of new treatment regimens, progress in the management of DM has been elusive; only 7.3% of people diagnosed with DM meet treatment goals for blood glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol, and there has been little improvement since 1988. The conceptual model that drives this research study predicts that individual predisposing, enabling and need characteristics will explain disparities in the management of DM. The main objective of the study is to gain a better understanding of factors that facilitate or impede effective management of DM and, as needed, contribute to development of culturally-diverse materials/strategies for addressing specific aspects of management of DM in different minority groups. Data from three separate BRFSS surveys (2001, 2002 and 2003) will be used to test hypotheses derived from the model. Non-Hispanic Whites, non- Hispanic African Americans and Hispanics 18 years of age and older with DM will be the focus of the research. Key dependent variables include 15 indicators of clinical and self-management of DM. OLS multiple regression and logistic regression are the basic analytic strategies. The analytic plan will be implemented by 16 undergraduate (and a limited number of graduate) students during a semester-long, 4 credit-hour lecture/lab course taught by the investigators, with the assistance of a doctoral-level research assistant. Results will be disseminated locally via a Diabetes Research Day and nationally through peer- reviewed journal articles. The AREA (R15) is an ideal mechanism to support the proposed research. [unreadable] [unreadable]