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Factors Related to Diabetes Mellitus among Asian-American Adults in the United States Using the 2011 to 2020 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disproportionality affects under-represented groups, specifically Asian Americans. Asian Americans are less likely to receive proper diabetes mellitus screening compared to other racial and ethnic groups, potentially due to improper screening guidelines by clinicians, and Asian Americans being unaware of their increased risk for diabetes mellitus. There are differences in the etiology of T2DM in Asian Americans compared to White Americans. Due to the increasing rates of T2DM among Asian Americans, new approaches in the screening of T2DM should be tailored based on race and ethnicity. The aging process is frequently associated with decreased muscle mass and increased adipose tissue, which can contribute to insulin resistance and lead to elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) percentages. Although sex has not been classified as an independent risk factor for T2DM, it is important to consider sex-specific conditions in the context of the disease. Body mass index (BMI) alone is insufficient to properly evaluate adiposity in Asian-American adults due to Asian Americans having a lower BMI with a higher body fat percentage. Waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and visceral adiposity index (VAI) may be better for screening Asian Americans for T2DM. Multiple modifiable risk factors, such as sedentary behavior, and dietary intake (specifically dietary magnesium intake) can increase the risk for T2DM. Lack of physical activity can result in insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism as a result of muscle disuse and decreased lean body mass. Half of the Asian-American population is not consuming the recommended amounts of magnesium from foods, drinks, and dietary supplements. There is an inverse relationship between increased dietary magnesium intake and the risk of T2DM. In addition, the main language spoken in the household may influence lifestyle and risk of T2DM. The overarching goal of the present study was to establish which independent variables (age, sex, BMI, waist circumference, WHtR, VAI, sedentary behavior time, dietary magnesium intake, self-reported healthy diet status, and language) were the strongest predictors of HbA1c percentage (a measure of blood glucose control) in Asian-American adults using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011 to 2020. The present study also evaluated the relationship among multiple predictors of HbA1c percentage, including age, sex, body composition, sedentary behavior time, dietary magnesium intake, self-reported healthy diet status, and language among Asian-American adults, 18 years of age and older, using the NHANES data from 2011 to 2020. / Doctor of Philosophy / Asian Americans have been disproportionately affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Compared to other racial and ethnic groups, Asian Americans are less likely to receive proper diabetes mellitus screening. This may be due to inadequate screening guidelines and lack of awareness about their increased risk for diabetes mellitus. The cause of T2DM in Asian Americans differs from that in White Americans, which calls for tailored screening approaches based on race and ethnicity. The aging process is frequently associated with decreased muscle mass and increased adipose tissue, which can contribute to insulin resistance and lead to elevated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) percentages. Although sex has not been classified as an independent risk factor for T2DM, it is important to consider sex-specific conditions in the context of the disease. Body mass index (BMI) alone is not enough to accurately assess body fat in Asian-American adults, because they tend to have a lower BMI, but higher body fat percentage. Waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and visceral adiposity index (VAI) might be more suitable for screening Asian Americans for T2DM. Several modifiable risk factors, such as a sedentary lifestyle and dietary intake (specifically, dietary magnesium intake), can increase the risk of T2DM. Lack of physical activity can lead to insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism due to muscle disuse and reduced lean body mass. Half of the Asian-American population does not consume the recommended amounts of magnesium from food, drinks, and dietary supplements. Researchers have shown that increased dietary magnesium intake is linked to a reduced risk of T2DM. In addition, the main language spoken in the household may influence lifestyle and risk of T2DM. The main goal of this study was to identify which factors (age, sex, BMI, waist circumference, WHtR, VAI, sedentary behavior time, dietary magnesium intake, self-reported healthy diet status, and language) were the strongest predictors of HbA1c percentage (a measure of blood glucose control) in Asian Americans. This was completed using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2011 to 2020. Additionally, the study aimed to establish the relationship among multiple predictors of HbA1c percentage, including age, sex, body composition, sedentary behavior time, dietary magnesium intake, self-reported healthy diet status, and language among Asian-American adults, 18 years of age and older, using the same NHANES data.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/116189
Date01 September 2023
CreatorsNichols, Quentin Zacharias
ContributorsHuman Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, Volpe, Stella L., Davy, Brenda M., Davy, Kevin P., Hanlon, Alexandra L.
PublisherVirginia Tech
Source SetsVirginia Tech Theses and Dissertation
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeDissertation
FormatETD, application/pdf
RightsIn Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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