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The article discusses the prevalence of diabetes in the U.S. from 2006-2010. It states that the report aims to discuss and raise awareness about group differences of diabetes diagnosis and to provide actions to reduce these differences. Moreover, it found that significant differences for race and ethnicity occurred among non-Hispanic whites and non-Hispanic blacks or Hispanics.

OBJECTIVE -- This study examined the association between access to health care and three classifications of diabetes status: diagnosed, undiagnosed, and no diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS-- Using data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we identified 110 "missed patients" (fasting plasma glucose >125 mg/dl but without diagnoses of diabetes), 704 patients with diagnosed diabetes, and 4,782 people without diabetes among adults aged 18-64 years. The population percentage undetected among adults with diabetes and the odds ratio of being undetected among adults who reported not having diabetes were compared between groups based on their access to health care. RESULTS-- Among those with diabetes, the percentages having undetected diabetes were 42.2% (95% CI 36.7-47.7) among the uninsured, 25.9% (22.9-28.9) among the insured, 49.3% (43.0-55.6) for those uninsured >1 year, 38.7% (29.2-48.2) for those uninsured ≤1 year, and 24.5% (21.7-27.3) for those continuously insured over the past year. Type of insurance, number of times receiving health care in the past year, and routine patterns of health care utilization were also associated with undetected diabetes. Multivariate adjustment indicated that having undetected diabetes was associated with being uninsured (odds ratio 1.7 [95% CI 1.0-2.9]) and with being uninsured >1 year (2.6 [1.4-5.0]). CONCLUSIONS-- Limited access to health care, especially being uninsured and going without insurance for a long period, was significantly associated with being a "missed patient" with diabetes. Efforts to increase detection of diabetes may need to address issues of access to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We assessed educational disparities in smoking rates among adults with diabetes in managed care settings. Methods. We used a cross-sectional, survey-based (2002-2003) observational study among 6538 diabetic patients older than 25 years across multiple managed care health plans and states. For smoking at each level of self-reported educational attainment, predicted probabilities were estimated by means of hierarchical logistic regression models with random intercepts for health plan, adjusted for potential confounders. Results. Overall, 15% the participants reported current smoking. An educational gradient in smoking was observed that varied significantly (P<.003) across age groups, with the educational gradient being strong in those aged 25 to 44 years, modest in those aged 45 to 64 years, and nonexistent in those aged 65 years or older. Of particular note, the prevalence of smoking observed in adults aged 25-44 years with less than a high school education was 50% (95% confidence interval: 36% to 63%). Conclusions. Approximately half of poorly educated young adults with diabetes smoke, magnifying the health risk associated with early-onset diabetes. Targeted public health interventions for smoking prevention and cessation among young, poorly educated people with diabetes are needed. (Am J Public Health. 2008:98:365-370. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2005.083501) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine whether mental distress among diabetic persons is associated with various CVD risk factors. Methods: Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System, an ongoing, state-based, random-digit-dialed telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized US adult population. Results: Diabetic persons with mental distress were more likely than those without mental distress to smoke to have hypercholesterolemia and hypertension and not to engage in leisure-time physical activity. Conclusions: Mental health professionals need to be involved in the care of diabetic persons so they can recognize and treat symptoms of mental distress and participate in research to identify interventions that can reduce mental distress and reinforce healthy behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving diabetes care in the United States is a topic of concern.Objective: To document the quality of diabetes care during 1988-1995.Design: National population-based cross-sectional surveys.Setting: Third U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) (1988-1994) and the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) (1995).Participants: Participants in NHANES III (n = 1026) or BRFSS (n = 3059) who were 18 to 75 years of age and reported a physician diagnosis of diabetes. Women with gestational diabetes were excluded.Measurements: Glycemic control, blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level, biannual cholesterol monitoring, and annual foot and dilated eye examination, as defined by the Diabetes Quality Improvement Project.Results: 18.0% of participants (95% CI, 15.7% to 22.3%) had poor glycemic control (hemoglobin A(1c) level > 9.5%), and 65.7% (CI, 62.0% to 69.4%) had blood pressure less than 140/90 mm Hg. Cholesterol was monitored biannually in 85.3% (CI, 83.1% to 88.6%) of participants, but only 42.0% (CI, 34.9% to 49.1%) had LDL cholesterol levels less than 3.4 mmol/L (<130 mg/dL). During the previous year, 63.3% (CI, 59.6% to 67.0%) had a dilated eye examination and 54.8% (CI, 51.3% to 58.3%) had a foot examination. When researchers controlled for age, sex, ethnicity, education, health insurance, insulin use, and duration of diabetes, insured persons were more likely than uninsured persons to have a dilated eye examination (66.5% [CI, 62.6% to 70.4%]) vs. 43.2% [CI, 29.5% to 56.9%]) and were less likely to have a hemoglobin A(1c)level greater than or equal to 9.5%. Persons taking insulin were more likely than those who were not to have annual dilated eye examination (72.2% [CI, 66.3% to 78.1%] vs. 57.6% [CI, 53.7% to 61.5%]) and foot examination (67.3% [CI, 61.4% to 73.2%] vs. 47.1% [CI, 43.2% to 51.0%]) but were also more likely to have poor glycemic control (24.2% [CI, 18.3% to 30.1%] vs. 15.5% [CI, 11.6% to 19.4%]).Conclusions: According to U.S. data collected during 1988-1995, a gap exists between recommended diabetes care and the care patients actually receive. These data offer a benchmark for monitoring changes in diabetes care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which estimated the annual cost of disability among people with diabetes. Materials and methods; Results and discussion.

Recent data suggest that the residential environment may independently influence health behaviors and outcomes. We assessed whether an individual's perception of neighborhood was associated with diabetes behaviors and outcomes after adjustment for an objective measure of neighborhood, as well as individual-level socioeconomic status and other potential confounders. This cross-sectional analysis included 7,830 diabetic adults enrolled in Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes (TRIAD), a study of diabetes care and out-comes in managed care settings. Perception of neighborhood was measured using a summary score of participants' ratings of problems including crime, trash and litter, lighting at night, and access to exercise facilities, transportation, and supermarkets. Scores were categorized into tertiles (higher tertiles indicate fewer perceived problems). Outcomes included health behaviors (smoking, physical activity, glucose self-monitoring, foot care) and intermediate outcomes (HbA1c, lipids, blood pressure (BP), SF-12 health status). Hierarchical regression models were used to account for clustering of patients within neighborhoods and to adjust for objective neighborhood (% living in poverty) and potential individual-level confounders (age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, income, co-morbidity index, duration of diabetes). After adjustment, in the lowest tertile (more perceived problems) vs. highest tertile (fewest perceived problems), rates were higher for current smoking (15 vs. 11%) and slightly lower, albeit not clinically significant, for participating in any weekly physical activity (95 vs. 96%). Furthermore, BP control was worse (25% vs. 31%, <130/80 mmHg), and scores were slightly worse on the SF-12 (44 vs. 46 units for emotional well being and 42 vs. 45 units for physical well being), all P<0.01. No other outcomes were significantly associated with perceptions of neighborhood; results were similar in unadjusted and adjusted analyses. After accounting for objective neighborhood, perceived neighborhood problems were associated with several diabetes-related outcomes. The strongest associations, smoking and BP, have significant implications for cardiovascular risk and the mechanisms should be further explored in longitudinal studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on cardiovascular disease risk profiles in women with histories of gestational diabetes without current diabetes. The study used cross-sectional analyses of 4,631 parous women who were not currently pregnant. Results showed that women who had a history of gestational diabetes who were not currently diabetics have the same cardiovascular disease risk profiles to unaffected women excluding insulin and glucose levels.