Presentations

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes is a significant public health issue, particularly in rural, low-income communities. A screening study was conducted in the Western Tidewater area of Virginia, a rural region, to not only assess the prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes and their associated risk factors but also to gather qualitative insights into participants' perceptions and experiences with diabetes management.

Methods: 298 individuals living in the Western Tidewater region of Virginia participated in diabetes screening from April 2022 through May 2024. 18.71% of those screened were found to have diabetes and 28.91% were found to have pre-diabetes compared to the national averages of 11.6% and 38% (National Health Interview Survey, 2022) and Virginia averages of 9.6% and 33.3% (Dall et. al. 2020). Follow-up calls were conducted with those individuals that screened positive for prediabetes or diabetes, to better understand the barriers contributing to the higher rates of diabetes for those living in Western Tidewater.

Results: Twenty-six barriers to glucose management were reported and theme analysis was conducted. These barriers were organized into eight categories. From most to least reported they were Exercise, Financial, Diet, Medical, Psychological/Emotional, Access to Care, Perception, and Health Literacy. Black participants were almost three times more likely (2.9) to report having barriers to care than white participants. Of the participants that reported barriers, 42% reported an exercise barrier, 26% reported medical, financial, and diet barriers. 21% reported access to care and psychological/emotional barriers, and 10% reported health literacy and perception barriers. For example, participants discussed how their co-occurring medical issues such as asthma, chronic pain, atrial fibrillation, and shortness of breath prevented them from achieving their physical activity goals. Furthermore, multiple participants reported financial barriers including the high cost of medications for treating diabetes. Financial concerns were also reported to hinder participants' ability to buy healthy food. When it came to psychological/emotion barriers, general lack of motivation, family health problems, and high stress levels were common reasons inhibiting participants' ability to be consistent with diabetes management.

Conclusion: Beyond diving into the data, talking to those most affected and understanding their first-hand experiences is crucial to tackling the public health problem of diabetes. These follow-up discussions offer further clarity into the obstacles faced by diabetics in the Western Tidewater area and offer possible further avenues of exploration for solutions.