Abstract P302: Adverse Health Behaviors Identified in Africans Living With Undiagnosed Diabetes in America

Abstract

Background: For African born blacks living in America, lifestyle and food choices may promote or exacerbate diabetes. Objective: Our goal was to determine by OGTT the prevalence of diabetes in 451 self-identified as healthy African-born blacks living in America and then compare social and metabolic characteristics according to whether diabetes was detected. Methods: When the lifestyle questionnaires were administered, neither the participant nor the health care provider knew the results of the OGTT. Waist circumference (WC), inflammatory markers and lipids were obtained. Computerized tomographic scans were done to measure visceral adiposity (VAT). Results: Diabetes was identified in 7% (30/451) of participants. Data provided in the Table. Age and years in the United States were higher in the group with diabetes. After adjusting for age, BMI did not differ by diagnosis, but WC and VAT was higher with diabetes. Homocysteine, hsCRP, and TG were higher and HDL lower in the group with diabetes. The prevalence of both smoking and alcohol intake were higher in the group with diabetes. In addition, the rate of consumption ≥5 servings/day of fruits and vegetables tended to be lower. Education, income, and health insurance did not differ by diagnosis. Conclusions: Africans with undiagnosed diabetes are unhealthier than their counterparts without diabetes. Difficult to address social characteristics such as education, income and health insurance did not differ between groups. Nonetheless, identification of undiagnosed diabetes is important because behavior change in regard to smoking, alcohol, and fiber intake could improve health status.