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Mexican Americans' diabetes symptom prevalence, burden, and clusters
Alexandra A García1, Eliezer Bose2, Julie A Zuñiga2
1The University of Texas at Austin School of Nursing, Austin, TX, United States of America; The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, United States of America.
Applied Nursing Research : ANR
|March 12, 2019
Summary
Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) experience numerous symptoms, with high symptom burden linked to lower quality of life. Three distinct symptom clusters were identified, highlighting the need for comprehensive symptom management.
Area of Science:
- Medical research
- Diabetes science
- Symptom science
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a growing health concern for Mexican Americans.
- T2DM symptoms arise from glucose fluctuations, medication, and long-term complications.
- Understanding symptom prevalence and clustering is crucial for effective management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore symptom prevalence in Mexican American adults with T2DM.
- To examine differences in symptom burden and quality of life.
- To identify distinct clusters of co-occurring diabetes symptoms.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of clinical and survey data from 71 Mexican American adults with T2DM.
- Symptom prevalence, burden, and quality of life were assessed.
- Agglomerative hierarchical and k-means clustering were used to identify symptom clusters.
Main Results:
- Participants reported an average of 14 symptoms, with tiredness and sleep issues most common.
- High symptom burden correlated with significantly lower quality of life and perceived diabetes severity.
- Three distinct symptom clusters emerged, involving symptoms like thirst, dry mouth, skin itching, weight gain, and cognitive difficulties.
Conclusions:
- Mexican Americans with T2DM experience multiple co-occurring symptoms.
- Addressing symptom burden can improve quality of life for T2DM patients.
- Further research with larger samples is needed to advance diabetes symptom science.
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