Research: Racial Discrimination and Its Effects on the Diagnosis of Diabetes
Awards: ACT-SO 2022 Participant
Mentor: Dr. Rodney Versace
Research Location: Iona College
Abstract:
Over 34 million people in the United States have diabetes. Diabetes impacts a large range of people all over the world from being associated with comorbidities such as cognitive impairment, cancer risk, and prognosis. This disease kills more people every year than breast cancer and AIDS combined, making it the seventh most leading cause of death. Those who are diagnosed with diabetes experience significant health concerns showing that diabetes itself has proven to be the catalyst for other health problems. In prospective studies, scientists have found that enteroviruses can be a factor for diabetes. Enteroviruses are a genus of positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses associated with several human diseases. For our methods we looked through the CDC website and found information on all types of data on diabetes such as race, age, and higher or lower glycohemoglobin. From this a Microsoft sheet was made and data was created on race and age as of this year. Based on the data from CDC website regarding race less non hispanic whites have had a high glycohemoglobin (A1C) but have been told by their doctor that they did not have diabetes. Meaning they have had a high A1C level that is associated with diabetes but have been told they did not have diabetes. We have also found out that more non hispanic whites have been told that they do have diabetes. These findings show that there is a disproportion between white people and their diagnosis of diabetes. Even though there is a disproportion, several factors such as inaccurate testing, vary in blood sugar level, and racial discrimination.
About this Scientist:
Great work! So excited you will be in YPIE's College Success program next year! -Jaclyn
That’s great research. Your hypothesis caught me by surprise. Usually diabetes disproportionately affects the minorities rather than non Hispanic white. Diseases afflicts us all.
Great work, Kameko! This disparity in diagnoses that you have identified is fascinating. Do you have any thoughts on how we as a country could begin to address this issue?
-Max