Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

College/Unit

School of Public Health

Department/Program/Center

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This project utilized a cross-sectional study design to assess diabetes risk among 540 individuals from 12 counties using trained extension agents and community organizations in West Virginia. Individuals were screened for diabetes using (1) the validated 7-item diabetes risk assessment survey and (2) hemoglobin A1c tests. Demographic and lifestyle behaviors were also collected. The average age, body mass index, and A1c were 51.2 ± 16.4, 31.1 ± 7.5, and 5.8 ± 0.74, respectively. The majority were females, NonHispanic Whites with no prior diagnosis of diabetes. Screenings showed that 61.8% of participants were at high risk for diabetes. Family history of diabetes (siblings or parents), overweight or obese status, sedentary lifestyle, and older age were commonly prevalent risk factors. Higher risk scores computed from the 7-item questions correlated positively with higher A1c (�� = 0.221, �� < 0.001). In multivariate logistic regression analyses, higher diabetes risk was predicted by obesity, older age, family history of hypertension, and gestational diabetes. Females were 4 times at higher risk than males. The findings indicated that communitybased screenings were an effective way to assess diabetes risk in rural West Virginia. Linking diabetes screenings with referrals to lifestyle programs for high risk individuals can help reduce the burden of diabetes in the state.

Source Citation

Misra, R., Fitch, C., Roberts, D., & Wright, D. (2016). Community-Based Diabetes Screening and Risk Assessment in Rural West Virginia. Journal of Diabetes Research, 2016, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/2456518

Comments

Copyright © 2016 Ranjita Misra et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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