Date of Conferral

2015

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Richard Jimenez

Abstract

Latinos of low socioeconomic status are disproportionately affected by diabetes Type II complicated by poor adherence to diabetes Type II medications and management programs. Self-management of diabetes Type II is a tool used to teach health education to patients with diabetes. The objective of this retrospective quantitative study was to explore if there are predictors of nonadherence to diabetes Type II medications and programs among Latinos with diabetes Type II. Data from 200 patient records from a community clinic in Fresno County California were analyzed using both bivariate and multivariate analysis. Selected sociodemographic independent variables were age, gender, income, migrant worker status, family size, and having received health education. The dependent variable was adherence to medication and management programs. Gender and health education were the only strong predictors of nonadherence to diabetes Type II medications and programs among the study sample in the bivariate analysis. The combination of gender and health education was the only strong predictor to diabetes Type II medications and programs in the multivariate analysis. Recommendations include personalized health education that incorporates a protocol for teaching patients about diet, consumption of alcoholic beverages, exercise, medication, and the effects these behaviors have on diabetes prevention and management. The implications for positive change include decreasing complications, improving quality of life, and improving patient satisfaction. The implications also include decreasing health care cost for stakeholders, including patients, and insurance payers.

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