Date of Award

5-15-2020

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

Public Health

First Advisor

Dr. Okosun

Second Advisor

Dr. Reyes

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have found there is an association between socioeconomic status, education, and race/ethnicity. Existing statistics have shown Hispanics to be one of the largest minority groups in the United States, making up roughly 30% of the population and projected to become largest ethnic minority group in the United States. As a growing population, Hispanics face many barriers related to social determinants of health, including income and education. These social determinants of health (SDH) can impact an individual’s overall health and influence the rate of certain chronic diseases such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension. Currently, 17% of Hispanics have diabetes, approximately 22% have dyslipidemia, and 17% have hypertension. For the purposes of this analysis, Hispanic population is not monolithic and include two subgroups--Mexican American and Other Hispanic.

AIM: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between income and education, and risks of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension among Mexican American, Other Hispanic, and Non-Hispanic Whites. It is hypothesized that there will be a strong association between income level, education, and diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension in these population groups.

METHODS: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a secondary dataset from the National Center for Health Statistics was used. The survey years analyzed were from 2013-2014, and 2015-2016. Odds ratios from multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to estimated risk of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.

RESULTS: A total of 3,188 eligible participants were analyzed in this study. Income and education were not associated with odds of diabetes among Mexican Americans, Other Hispanics, and Non-Hispanic Whites. Being a Mexican Americans and of Other Hispanics were associated with 1.66 greater odds of diabetes compared to Non-Hispanic Whites. Mexican Americans and Other Hispanics achieved the lowest rates of education. Binary logistic regression showed that when controlling for other variables such as age, gender, BMI, and smoking, results were not significant overall as the null was captured in 95% CI.

DISCUSSION: There was not a strong association between income, education, and the presence of diabetes, dyslipidemia, and hypertension among Mexican Americans and Other Hispanic Non-Hispanic Whites.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/17631058

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