Racial/Ethnic Differences in Glycemic Control in Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: United States 2003–2014

Brittany L. Smalls, Tiarney D. Ritchwood, Kinfe G. Bishu and Leonard E. Egede
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Brittany L. Smalls: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 2195 Harrodsburg Road, Suite 125, Lexington, KY 40505, USA
Tiarney D. Ritchwood: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, 2200 West Main Street, Suite 600, Durham, NC 27705, USA
Kinfe G. Bishu: College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 135 Rutledge Ave, Charleston, SC 29425, USA
Leonard E. Egede: Center for Advancing Population Science, Medical College of Wisconsin, 9200 W. Wisconsin Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-10

Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine whether racial differences in HbA1c persist in older adults (≥65 years) living with type 2 diabetes. Data from The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2014 were used to examine the association between HbA1c and older adults (≥65 years) over time. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, Mexican Americans had the greatest difference in average HbA1c among minority groups, followed by those with unspecified/mixed ethnicities and non-Hispanic Blacks. In the adjusted linear model, racial minorities had a statistically significant relationship with HbA1c. There was no relationship between HbA1c and older age and insulin use. Trends in mean HbA1c over time increased for non-Hispanic Blacks and Mexican Americans and decreased for non-Hispanic Whites. The findings suggest that racial differences in HbA1c persist into older age and compared to non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks and Mexican Americans are at an increased risk of morbidity, mortality, and disability due to high HbA1c. Furthermore, alternate measures of glycemic control may be needed to screen and manage T2DM in racial minorities.

Keywords: older adults; diabetes; race/ethnicity; glycemic control; NHANES (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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