Browsing by Subject "emigrants and immigrants"

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    Associations between immigrant status and pharmacological treatments for diabetes in U.S. adults
    (APA, 2018) Hsueh, Loretta; Vrany, Elizabeth A.; Patel, Jay S.; Hollingshead, Nicole A.; Hirsh, Adam T.; de Groot, Mary; Stewart, Jesse C.; Psychology, School of Science
    Objectives: Although treatment disparities in diabetes have been documented along racial/ethnic lines, it is unclear if immigrant groups in the United States experience similar treatment disparities. Our objective was to determine whether immigrant status is associated with differences in pharmacological treatment of diabetes in a nationally representative sample of adults with diabetes. We were specifically interested in differences in treatment with oral hypoglycemic agents (OHA) and insulin. Method: Respondents were 2,260 adults from National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2012 with a self-reported diabetes diagnosis. Immigrant status was indicated by birth within (U.S.-born) or outside (foreign-born) the 50 U.S. States or Washington, DC. Multinomial logistic regression analyses examined associations between immigrant status and (a) treatment with OHAs only and (b) treatment with insulin only or insulin and OHA combination therapy, using no treatment as the reference group. Results: Adjusting for demographics, diabetes severity and duration, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and CVD risk factors, being foreign-born versus U.S.-born was not associated with treatment with OHAs only (odds ratio [OR] = 1.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.97, 2.60]). However, being foreign-born was associated with decreased odds (OR = 0.53; 95% CI [0.28, 0.99]) of treatment with insulin. Conclusions: Pharmacological treatment of diabetes differs along immigrant status lines. To understand these findings, studies capturing the processes underlying treatment differences in diabetes among immigrants are needed. Findings raise the possibility that integrating information about a patient’s immigrant status, in addition to racial/ethnic identity, may be an important component of culturally sensitive diabetes care.
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    Diabetes Risk Perception Among Immigrant and Racial/Ethnic Minority Adults in the United States
    (Sage, 2019) Hsueh, Loretta; Peña, Juan M.; Hirsh, Adam T.; de Groot, Mary; Stewart, Jesse C.; Psychology, School of Science
    Purpose The purpose of the study was to examine associations of immigrant and racial/ethnic status with diabetes risk perception among a population-based sample of US adults without diabetes. Racial/ethnic minorities are at increased risk of developing diabetes. Emerging research shows that immigrant (foreign born) individuals are also at increased risk, but less is understood about risk perception in this group. Methods Respondents were 11,569 adults from the NHANES (2011-2016; National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) reporting no diabetes or prediabetes. Immigrant status was coded as foreign born or US born and analyses used NHANES racial/ethnic categories: white, black, Mexican American, other Hispanic, Asian, and other/multiracial. Immigrant status and variables comparing each minority group with whites were simultaneously entered into models predicting risk perception (yes/no), adjusting for demographic and diabetes risk factors. Results Being foreign born was associated with decreased odds of perceived risk, while being Mexican American, Asian, and other/multiracial were associated with increased odds of perceived risk. Discussion Foreign-born adults are less likely than US-born adults to report perceived risk for diabetes. Lower diabetes risk perception among immigrants could result in poorer preventative behaviors and later diabetes detection.