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Undiagnosed diabetes among Hispanic and white adults with elevated haemoglobin A 1c levels
Author(s) -
Russell Elaine,
Oh Kyeung Mi,
Zhao Xiaoquan
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
diabetes/metabolism research and reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.307
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1520-7560
pISSN - 1520-7552
DOI - 10.1002/dmrr.3153
Subject(s) - diabetes mellitus , medicine , national health and nutrition examination survey , odds ratio , odds , national health interview survey , gerontology , demography , logistic regression , environmental health , population , endocrinology , sociology
Aims The aim of this study is to compare the frequency and correlates of undiagnosed diabetes between Hispanic and white American adults ages 20 and older with known diabetes or elevated HbA 1c . Methods Using 2007 to 2012 National Health and Nutrition Survey data, 1792 white and Hispanic Americans age 20 and older with known diabetes or elevated HbA 1c (≥6.5%) were included in the analysis. Undiagnosed diabetes was defined as elevated HbA 1c more than or equal to 6.5% without prior diabetes diagnosis. Covariates included demographics, health care access, and survey language. Results Hispanics were younger (54.92 vs 61.45 y, p < .001) and had a higher rate of undiagnosed diabetes (28.2% vs 18.0%, p < .001) than their white counterparts. For Hispanics, those with undiagnosed diabetes had higher mean HbA 1c than those with known diabetes ( p = .03), but no significant difference was found between diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes among whites. Covariates that decreased the odds of undiagnosed diabetes among Hispanic Americans included having a routine place to receive health care. For whites, covariates that decreased the odds of undiagnosed diabetes were a higher ratio of income to poverty level, having health insurance and having a routine place for health care. Conclusion The high proportion of unknown diabetes among Hispanic Americans suggests the need for a culturally competent health campaign to improve community diabetes awareness. Emphasizing the importance of having a routine place of health care for regular health check‐ups and expanded community resources for diabetes early detection and prevention among this population could decrease the burden of diabetes.