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265491 Effective screening for diabetes is hindered by the health care systemTuesday, October 30, 2012
: 11:10 AM - 11:30 AM
Diabetes screening recommendations are based on research regarding risk factors for pre-diabetes and diabetes. Demographic, behavioral, and social factors influence this highly prevalent and debilitating condition. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data collected in 2010 from 32 states were used to demonstrate the variables that have the most impact on diagnosed diabetes among adults aged 18 to 64. Obese adults were at highest risk for reporting that they had been diagnosed with diabetes by a health care professional. Non-white race, no college education, and no leisure time physical activity were also significant predictors of a diabetes diagnosis. Health insurance status had no effect on the prevalence of diagnosed diabetes. The same data was used to demonstrate the variables that have the most impact on diabetes screening in the past three years among adults without diabetes. Health insurance status had the greatest impact on whether an adult had been screened for diabetes, followed by obesity and non-white race. Further, adults were more likely to be screened if they had some college education and participated in some physical activity. To summarize, health insurance status is the greatest predictor for diabetes screening, even though it is not a risk factor for a diabetes diagnosis. These findings are counterintuitive and show that the health care system in the U.S. is not enabling health care providers to target populations at highest risk for diabetes. Health care reforms are needed to improve screening practices and prevent health problems and expenditures arising from undiagnosed pre-diabetes and diabetes.
Learning Areas:
Advocacy for health and health educationChronic disease management and prevention Clinical medicine applied in public health Epidemiology Provision of health care to the public Public health or related research Learning Objectives: Keywords: Health Care Access, Screening
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a chronic disease epidemiologist with experience working on federally funded contracts with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. I have analyzed various national public use data sets, including BRFSS and NHANES. I have an interest in diabetes screening and prevention practices and health care reform. I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.
Back to: 4150.0: Health Care Justice: Issues of Class, Race, Gender, and Access
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