Racial Disparities in Behavior Risk Factors and Diabetes Preventive Health Care among Asian/Pacific Islanders with Type 2 Diabetes.

Objective : To estimate behavior risk factors and diabetes preventive health care among Asian/Pacific Islanders (API) diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Design : Population-based telephone survey. Participants : APIs and non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) surveyed in the 2009 Behavioral Risk  Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. Main Outcome Measures : Diabetes preventive health care (taking insulin, taking educational classes, receiving flu shot and pneumococcal vaccine, blood sugar check, cholesterol check, HbA1C check, and eye and foot examination), behavior risk factors (fruit and vegetable consumption, physical exercise, smoking and binge drinking). Results : By constructing the logistic regression model, odds ratios (OR) were calculated to compare the risk factors and preventive care between NHW and API groups. Compared with NHW, the APIs were significantly less likely to check their blood sugar at least once a day, got flu shots and have had pneumococcal vaccines. The results also showed that APIs eat more fruits, are more likely to be physically active, and are less likely to participate in binge drinking and smoking. There are no differences between these two groups for diabetes education, having seen professionals for diabetes within past year, having cholesterol or HbA1C checked in past year, and having an eye or foot exam in past year. Conclusions: Our results can inform the best intervention strategies to deliver diabetes preventive health care services for the APIs with type 2 diabetes and to help NHWs reduce risk factors for diabetes. ( Ethn Dis . 2015;25[2]:220–225)