Date of Conferral
2023
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Public Health
Advisor
Srikanta Banerjee
Abstract
Disparate access to diabetes care in rural and low-income communities among older adults has been an ongoing issue among Americans. Type 2 diabetes in low-income and rural communities has continuously burdened many residents due to age, costs of care, income, geographic location, and education levels. Researchers have demonstrated that providing resources and tools to rural and low-income communities would assist in decreasing type 2 diabetes and increase education and awareness. The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study using secondary data was to examine the relationship between health insurance status and lack of access to health care resources and delay of diabetes diagnosis. The socio-ecological model was used as the theoretical framework. Hypotheses were tested on a dataset of 7,354 participants in the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System study using multiple and logistic regression. The results of these analyzes show that controlling for age, gender, education, and income, having health insurance and lack of access to resources predicted delay in diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. Implications for positive social change include increased accessibility to healthcare, chronic disease intervention programs, and medication management that can help lessen delays in diagnosis.
Recommended Citation
Edwards, Crystal Alexis Symone, "Disparate Access to Medical Coverage Associated with Type 2 Diabetes Care in Low-income and Rural Communities in Georgia" (2023). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 14103.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/14103
