Rural residence and Hispanic ethnicity: doubly disadvantaged for diabetes?
BACKGROUND
Hispanics are at increased risk for diabetes, while rural residents have historically had decreased access to care.


OBJECTIVE
To determine whether living in a rural area and being Hispanic confers special risks for diagnosis and control of diabetes.


METHODS
We analyzed the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994). Hispanics and non-Hispanic white adults were classified according to rural/urban residence to create 4 ethnicity-residence groups. Investigated outcomes were previously diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. Among those with diagnosed diabetes, we investigated control of glucose, hypertension, and lipids.


RESULTS
The prevalence of diagnosed diabetes was greatest for rural residents, especially for rural Hispanics (8.2%) versus that for urban whites (4.6%), rural whites (6.5%), or urban Hispanics (4.5%), (P < .01). However, urban Hispanics were most likely to have undiagnosed diabetes at 3.7%, versus 2.3% of rural whites, 2.8% of urban whites, and 2.7% of rural Hispanics (P = .04). Among people with diagnosed diabetes, there was no difference in glycemic control between the 4 groups. Rural Hispanics with diagnosed diabetes had the greatest prevalence of elevated systolic blood pressure at 45%, compared to 37% of urban whites, 29% of rural whites, 28% of urban Hispanics (P = .01). In regression models controlling for potential confounders, there were no differences among urban and rural whites and Hispanics in the likelihood of undiagnosed diabetes or in glycemic control for those with diagnosed diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
Initiatives that target Hispanic health, and especially diabetes, should acknowledge rural/urban Hispanic health differences.
Koopman
Richelle J
RJ
Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. koopmanr@musc.edu
Mainous
Arch G
AG
Geesey
Mark E
ME
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data