Relating sociodemographic factors and glycemic control among inpatients with type 2 diabetes

Diabetes is a major public health concern and is significantly linked to mental illness and adverse health outcomes.

The overarching goal of this study was to characterize the association between biopsychosocial factors and glycemic control among inpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted to examine biopsychosocial variables obtained from 345 inpatients of a general hospital in Puerto Rico.

Descriptive and non-parametric analyses revealed the mean age of this sample was 62.75 years of age, 95% CI [61.17, 64.32]. and 53% were female. Sixty-two percent (62.6%) evidenced poor glycemic control and the average glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was 8.18%, 95% CI [7.94, 8.43]. Younger age was significantly linked to higher HbA1c levels r(N = 345) = − 0.276, p ≤ 0.001 and patients with lower monthly household income evidenced poorer glycemic control, χ²(5) = 13.12, p = 0.022.

These findings reveal a significant relationship between age, income level, and glycemic control. Future studies exploring the psychosocial mechanisms that uniquely link social determinants and glycemic control are warranted.