Published In
BMC Public Health
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2011
Subjects
Diabetes -- Treatment -- Evaluation, Diabetes -- Treatment -- Longitudinal studies, Rural elderly -- Medical care, Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health Across the U.S. Risk Factor Survey
Abstract
Background: In the U.S. diabetes prevalence estimates for adults ≥ 65 years exceed 20%. Rural communities have higher proportions of older individuals and health disparities associated with rural residency place rural communities at risk for a higher burden from diabetes. This study examined the adequacy of care received by older rural adults for their diabetes to determine if older rural adults differed in the receipt of adequate diabetes care when compared to their non-rural counterparts.
Methods: Cross-sectional data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey were examined using bivariate and multivariate analytical techniques.
Results: Logistic regression analysis revealed that older rural adults with diabetes were more likely to receive less than adequate care when compared to their non-rural counterparts (OR = 1.465, 95% CI: 1.454-1.475). Older rural adults receiving less than adequate care for their diabetes were more likely to be: male, non-Caucasian, less educated, unmarried, economically poorer, inactive, a smoker. They were also more likely to: have deferred medical care because of cost, not have a personal health care provider, and not have had a routine medical check-up within the last 12 months.
Conclusion: There are gaps between what is recommended for diabetes management and the management that older individuals receive. Older adults with diabetes living in rural communities are at greater risk for less than adequate care when compared to their non-rural counterparts. These results suggest the need to develop strategies to improve diabetes care for older adults with diabetes and to target those at highest risk.
DOI
10.1186/1471-2458-11-940
Persistent Identifier
http://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/17210
Citation Details
Lutfiyya, M. N., McCullough, J. E., Mitchell, L., Dean, L. S., & Lipsky, M. S. (2011). Adequacy of diabetes care for older US rural adults: a cross-sectional population based study using 2009 BRFSS data. BMC Public Health, 11(1), 1.
Description
Originally appeared in BMC Public Health, vol. 11., no. 1, published by BioMed Central Ltd. May be found at http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-11-940
Dr. Lipksy was affiliated with University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford at the time of writing.