Mapping Hispanic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Southeast Idaho Type 2 diabetes per fasting glucose indicates less red and more yellow, but this …
Mapping Hispanic Risk for Type 2 Diabetes in Southeast Idaho
When we discuss mapping risk for type 2 diabetes, we are not
actually mapping the disease itself, but the risk factors associated with
its development, which may also lead to complications Known physical risk
factors for type 2 diabetes include obesity, high cholesterol, high blood
pressure, and to some degree, age The highest risk factors are associated
with obesity, which may not only cause problems with an individuals
cholesterol and blood pressure, but may also lead to difficulty
metabolizing sugars in the blood High blood sugar is an indicator that
the body either isnt producing enough insulin, the hormone that helps
metabolize blood sugar, or that the body has become resistant to insulin
In Southeast Idaho, several communities along State Highway 30 have
Hispanic immigrants, mostly from Mexico A group of community health
promoters, called promotores de salud, or promotores, have collected
biometric information from community members to help understand the
frequency type 2 diabetes among Hispanic people
In science and medicine there are standard measurements that help us
to see what health
risks the individual is subject to By measuring a
persons height in comparison to their weight, for example, we are able to
arrive at the body mass index BMI which gives us kilograms kg of mass
per square meter m2 of physical space that the individual takes up
According to the American Diabetes Association ADA, people who have-or
have had-BMIs of 30 kg/m2 make up of the total number of those with type
2 diabetes 2005: 6, making this one of the best indicators for risk of
diabetes People with BMIs from 25-299 kg/m2 are considered to be
overweight, and are at moderate risk
We can also test the body to see how it behaves under certain
circumstances The fasting glucose test, for example, asks that
participants go without food for up to 10 hours, not eating or drinking
anything except water, until after the glucose test has been performed It
is generally considered healthy to have a glucose level in the blood of
less than 100 milligrams mg per deciliter dL; however, when your
glucose goes over this amount, you might have pre-diabetes People who
have fasting blood glucose levels of 126 mg/dL may have type 2 diabetes
ADA 2005: 8
The Maps
The maps show the areas where
study participants live along State
Highway 39 from American Falls to Blackfoot It is important to remember
that these maps have layers that are used to describe the problem, and that
some of the layers cover part of the ones underneath them A three-
dimensional, animated sequence, shows fasting glucose combined with BMI for
the City of Aberdeen, Idaho As it turns, the layers are first shown
together, then separately Yellow is low risk, blue is moderate and red is
high risk, and they appear with the highest level of risk on top
Risk from obesity, shown graphically in two dimensions, indicates
large areas of high risk overlapping the low and moderate areas high-
resolution PDF map also available Type 2 diabetes per fasting glucose
indicates less red and more yellow, but this is because only two classes
exist: high and low The areas showing red also coincide with areas where
type 2 diabetes is found in these communities see PDF map also
More work can be done, work that will show the relationship between
where Mexican immigrants live now, and where they have lived in the past,
and how their past environments might be affecting their health in the
present Using
relational data, geographic information systems and other
cutting edge technology, we at Hispanic Health Projects will continue to
explore type 2 diabetes to expand our understanding of this disease
