Uncovering Undiagnosed Diabetes in the African American Community Using Bio-Statistical Data
Introduction
Research has shown that there is a variation in how people of different cultures react to certain situations. In the case of diabetes, the African-Americans will require customized and adaptable ways for prevention of diabetes. Despite numerous efforts having been carried out to address the issue of diabetes disparities, in the year 2010, African-Americans in the state of Michigan were rated as having the highest population of diabetic patients among the minority race group (Cowdery et al., 2010).
Findings by Eugene and Jeffrey suggest that the rate of diabetes in African Americans has tripled over the past 30 years with the prevalence rate of diagnosed cases 1.4 times more in African Americans than in Native Americans. Diabetes prevalence among African Americans has tripled during the past 30 years with 1.3 million African Americans having been diagnosed with diabetes (Eugene, Jeffrey, n.d). In 2010, there were 5,547,700 African Americans in the United States with diabetes 1. Some 2,061,100 of them were undiagnosed. Most of them had reportedly begun experiencing diabetes-related complications such as eye, kidney, lower extremity, and heart damage (Diabetes 2025 Forecasts, 2011).
In addition, research done by Second National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES II) in 1976-80, approximates that half of African American who meet diagnostic criteria for diabetes are undiagnosed (Diabetes 2025 Forecasts, 2011).This research paper will seek to address this problem of undiagnosed diabetes among African Americans. The possible objectives will be, to determine prevalence of diabetes among African Americans, to determine prevention and control of diabetes and to determine causes of undiagnosed diabetes among African Americans.
The study will involve sampling out a population from which data will be collected and assessment done in line with the set objectives. The sample type will be Stratified Sampling. Stratified sampling will be preferred more than the other types since it offers more control to choice of group selected and offers the advantage of higher chances of a more homologous sample components (Chernick M. R., 2011). Collecting data from the sample population will involve schedule method where enumerators use questionnaires to collect information from respondents. Observation and artifact analysis will also be employed.Identification of VariablesIn any type of research, there are two types of variables, dependent variables and independent variables.
To begin with, a variable is any event, object, idea, time period, feeling or any other type of category whose value or quantity needs to be determined (Taylor et al., 2004). An independent variable is a variable that is not determined by other variables but rather stands alone and the value is more of fixed irrespective of what the other variables hold. According to (Leornard E., 2003), the most common independent factors that influence diabetes are age, gender, education and income levels.
Persons older than 64 years are more vulnerable to diabetes. Leornard …
