Investigating Social Ecological Contributors to Diabetes within Hispanics in an Underserved U.S.-Mexico Border Community

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Jean Chang³  Mignonne C. Guy²  Cecilia Rosales³  Jill G. de Zapien³  Lisa K. Staten¹  Maria L. Fernandez³ 

[1] Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI, Indiana University, 714 N. Senate Avenue EF 250, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; E-Mail:;Mayo Clinic Arizona, Department of Health Sciences Research, 13400 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259, USA; E-Mail: Guy.;Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, Arizona Prevention Research Center, University of Arizona, 1295 N. Martin Ave, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: diabetes;    hispanics;    U.S.-Mexico border;    obesity;    underserved;    socio-ecological model;    health disparities;    health behaviors;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijerph10083217

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Hispanics bear a disproportionate burden of diabetes in the United States, yet relations of structural, socio-cultural and behavioral factors linked to diabetes are not fully understood across all of their communities. The current study examines disparities and factors associated with diabetes in adult Hispanics of Mexican-descent (N = 648) participating in a population survey of an underserved rural U.S.-Mexico border community. The overall rate of diabetes prevalence rate in the sample, based on self-report and a glucose testing, was 21%; much higher than rates reported for U.S. adults overall, for all Hispanic adults, or for Mexican American adults specifically. Acculturation markers and social determinants of health indicators were only significantly related to diabetes in models not accounting for age. Older age, greater BMI (>30), greater waist-to-hip ratio as well as lower fruit and vegetable consumption were significantly related to increased likelihood of diabetes when all structural, cultural, behavioral, and biological factors were considered. Models with sets of behavioral factors and biological factors each significantly improved explanation of diabetes relative to prior social ecological theory-guided models. The findings show a critical need for diabetes prevention efforts in this community and suggest that health promotion efforts should particularly focus on increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2013 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.