title: A profile of Latinos with poorly controlled diabetes in South Florida.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Latinos are the largest minority group in the United States and diabetes or pre-diabetes affects more than 70% of Latinos aged 45 years and older. Miami-Dade County is home to one of the highest populations of diverse Latinos. In this descriptive manuscript, we present baseline characteristics of participants enrolled in the Miami Healthy Heart Initiative (MHHI). This was a study conducted to determine the effects of a community health worker (CHW) intervention among Latinos with poorly controlled diabetes in South Florida.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 300 diverse Latino adults with suboptimal diabetes outcomes (HbA1c≥8) into MHHI. This randomized control trial examined the impact of a 1-year CHW-led intervention on glycemic control, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. At baseline, physiologic measures, including HbA1c, LDL, blood pressure, and BMI, were assessed. Data on socio-demographic characteristics and additional determinants of health such as depression status, provider communication, diet, exercise, cigarette smoking, readiness to change diabetes management behaviors (stages of change), and confidence in ability to improve diabetes self-care (self-efficacy) were collected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants came from 20 different countries, with Cuban Americans representing 38% of the sample. Most had lived in the US for more than 10 years, had completed at least 12 years of school, and had high levels of health literacy, yet 48% had very low acculturation. Nearly 80% had poor self-efficacy, 80% met the criteria for depression, and 83% were not adherent to their medications. More than half the population was not at their target for blood pressure, 50% were above the recommended LDL goal, and most were obese.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In a diverse population of Latinos with poorly controlled diabetes in Miami, we found high rates of depression, obesity, medication non-adherence, poor self-efficacy, and provider communication. These may contribute to poor diabetes control, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol.
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA; skenya@med.miami.edu.
authors.forename: Sonjia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kenya
authors.affiliation: Jay Weiss Institute at Sylvester Cancer Center, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Cynthia Nicole
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lebron
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Aileen Yu Hen
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Yisel A
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Alonzo
authors.affiliation: Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Olveen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Carrasquillo
keywords: Hispanics with diabetes; South Florida; diabetes among Latinos; diabetes disparities
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