Prediabetes and Diabetes Prevalence in a Convenience Sample of Latino Immigrants

To investigate the prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes in a sample of Latino immigrants in the intermountain west and to determine how many of those with diabetes were aware of the diagnosis prior to screening. This cross-sectional study design analyzed clinical data and participant questionnaires from mobile primary care clinics in Southwest Montana to determine diabetes status based on A1C values (n = 370). Associations among A1C and sociodemographic factors were analyzed using logistic regression. Prediabetes was identified in 95 persons (25.6%), and diabetes was found in 27 persons (7.2%). Of those with A1C levels in the diabetes range, 40.8% reported no prior diabetes diagnosis. Older age, higher body mass index, and hypertension were associated with significantly increased odds of having diabetes compared to their respective reference groups. Having some post-secondary education was a significant protective factor, associated with 73% lower odds of diabetes compared to having some primary school education (OR 0.27, 95% CI (0.08, 0.88); p = 0.030). Prediabetes and diabetes were relatively high in this sample, and nearly half of those with diabetes did not know they had the disease. Early detection and prevention are necessary to reduce the risk of chronic disease.