To investigate the association of prediabetes screening with health literacy measures among deep southern states

Abstract

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), prediabetes almost always occurs before diagnosis of diabetes. Prediabetes occurs when the body's blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes (ADA, 2020). Approximately 96 million people in the United States (US) have prediabetes, with 80% of these individuals being unaware of their status. The US spent $327 billion in 2017 on the care of diabetics, creating a national concern. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association of prediabetes screening with health literacy measures among deep southern states. Using data from 22,794 adults from the state of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and South Carolina aged 18 or older who participated in the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the proportion of participants self-reporting prediabetes screening and ease or difficulty with health literacy are reported. Following, the bivariate independent association between prediabetes screening and health literacy measures were investigated. Preliminary findings using population-based weighted data suggest an estimated 56.3% of respondents had been screened for prediabetes. 57% reported easiness in obtaining health information. Significant differences were observed for prediabetes screening and reporting easier understanding of advice from health professionals, with 57.6% of non-prediabetes screeners self-reporting paying no attention to written health information. Study findings align with priorities of objective D-02 of Healthy People 2030, "reduce the proportion of adults who don't know they have prediabetes," reaching a target of 33.2%. Greater health education/promotion programming should consider bolstering health literacies practices for participants.