TY - JOUR
T1 - Health-related quality of life in urban African Americans with type 2 diabetes
AU - Hill-Briggs, Felicia
AU - Gary, Tiffany L.
AU - Hill, Martha N.
AU - Bone, Lee R.
AU - Brancati, Frederick L.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (R01-DK48117-04 and R01-DK48117-03S1) and the Johns Hopkins University Outpatient Department General Clinical Research Center (R0052).
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of socioeconomic barriers, familial barriers, and clinical variables with health-related quality of life (HRQL). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 186 African Americans with type 2 diabetes recruited from 2 primary care clinics in East Baltimore, Maryland. Physical functioning, social functioning, mental health, and general health were measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form. Socioeconomic (money, housing, street crime) and familial (family problems, caretaker responsibilities) barriers were assessed by standardized interview. Insulin use, comorbid disease, and measured abnormalities in body mass index, hemoglobin Alc (HbAlc), blood pressure, lipids, and renal function were investigated. RESULTS: Mean HRQL scores were: physical functioning, 61 ± 29; social functioning, 76 ± 26; mental health, 69 ± 21; and general health, 48 ± 21. Linear regression analyses revealed that each barrier to care was significantly associated with lower scores in 1 or more HRQL domain. As number of socioeconomic and familial barriers increased from 0 to 5, HRQL scores decreased by 18 for social functioning, 21 for general health, 23 for physical functioning, and 28 for mental health (all P for trend <.01). Clinical variables significantly associated with reduced HRQL were obesity, impaired renal function, insulin use, and comorbid disease. Blood pressure, lipids, and HbAlc were not significantly associated with HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: An independent, graded relationship was found between socioeconomic and familial barriers to care and HRQL. This relationship was at least as strong as the association between HRQL and the clinical variables more likely to be perceived by participants as causing symptomatic distress or impacting lifestyle.
AB - OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of socioeconomic barriers, familial barriers, and clinical variables with health-related quality of life (HRQL). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted of 186 African Americans with type 2 diabetes recruited from 2 primary care clinics in East Baltimore, Maryland. Physical functioning, social functioning, mental health, and general health were measured using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-item short form. Socioeconomic (money, housing, street crime) and familial (family problems, caretaker responsibilities) barriers were assessed by standardized interview. Insulin use, comorbid disease, and measured abnormalities in body mass index, hemoglobin Alc (HbAlc), blood pressure, lipids, and renal function were investigated. RESULTS: Mean HRQL scores were: physical functioning, 61 ± 29; social functioning, 76 ± 26; mental health, 69 ± 21; and general health, 48 ± 21. Linear regression analyses revealed that each barrier to care was significantly associated with lower scores in 1 or more HRQL domain. As number of socioeconomic and familial barriers increased from 0 to 5, HRQL scores decreased by 18 for social functioning, 21 for general health, 23 for physical functioning, and 28 for mental health (all P for trend <.01). Clinical variables significantly associated with reduced HRQL were obesity, impaired renal function, insulin use, and comorbid disease. Blood pressure, lipids, and HbAlc were not significantly associated with HRQL. CONCLUSIONS: An independent, graded relationship was found between socioeconomic and familial barriers to care and HRQL. This relationship was at least as strong as the association between HRQL and the clinical variables more likely to be perceived by participants as causing symptomatic distress or impacting lifestyle.
KW - Chronic illness
KW - Health status
KW - Socioeconomic factors
KW - Urban health
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U2 - 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2002.11002.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1525-1497.2002.11002.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 12133154
AN - SCOPUS:0036377121
SN - 0884-8734
VL - 17
SP - 412
EP - 419
JO - Journal of general internal medicine
JF - Journal of general internal medicine
IS - 6
ER -