Diabetes, comorbidities, and mental health status among semi-rural Mexican American adults

Type II diabetes and associated comorbidities among Mexican-American adults is a major public health issue. Data from a sample of 4,505 semi-rural Mexican-American adults were analyzed using signal detection to evaluate the effects of multiple factors associated with diabetes. Overall, 8.9% reported having been diagnosed with diabetes. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, poor mental health, and not being able to pay for medications were strongly associated with higher diabetes prevalences. Health education from providers was received by less than three quarters of respondents, despite poor health outcomes. Acculturation factors had variable effects with some indication that longer times in the U.S. resulted in higher diabetes prevalences. These findings suggest that preventive and case management efforts for Mexican American adults must target multiple chronic diseases, need to be more culturally appropriate, and consider methods for reaching those with incomplete access to care to lessen diabetes severity and related health outcomes.