Rate of Nutrition-Related Chronic Diseases Among a Multi-Ethnic Group of Uninsured Adults

Sahar Ajabshir; Sarah Stumbar; Innah Lachica; Kevin Gates; Zafar Qureshi; Fatma Huffman

doi:10.7759/cureus.28802

Rate of Nutrition-Related Chronic Diseases Among a Multi-Ethnic Group of Uninsured Adults

Cureus. 2022 Sep 5;14(9):e28802. doi: 10.7759/cureus.28802. eCollection 2022 Sep.

Authors

Sahar Ajabshir¹, Sarah Stumbar², Innah Lachica³, Kevin Gates⁴, Zafar Qureshi⁵, Fatma Huffman⁶

Affiliations

¹ Cellular Biology and Pharmacology, Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, USA.
² Family Medicine, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, USA.
³ Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, USA.
⁴ Obstetrics and Gynecology, Florida International University, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Miami, USA.
⁵ Primary Care, Private Practice, Miami, USA.
⁶ Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University, Miami, USA.

Abstract

The prevalence of nutrition-related chronic diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes, among adults in the U.S. is of increasing importance. These conditions adversely affect the overall public health, health care systems, and economy. Marginalized minority groups have been disproportionally affected by these conditions. Lack of or inadequate health insurance limits access to health care, which contributes to poor health outcomes among individuals with these conditions. South Florida is home to diverse racial/ethnic minority groups, many of whom are uninsured and do not have access to expert-delivered nutrition education services. It is imperative to thoroughly study the health needs of these underserved patient populations and examine the rate of nutrition-related conditions among them in order to develop medically and culturally tailored nutrition education programs for them. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of nutrition-related diseases among multi-racial/ethnic uninsured individuals living in South Florida. A four-week electronic health record of adult patients (N=272) from a free clinic in South Florida was analyzed. Spearman`s correlation and binary regression models were used to assess the relationship between the variables. The sample included females (65%) and males (35%). The mean age was 49.08±14.56 years. Overall, 87% had at least one nutrition-related condition, with overweight/obesity being the most observed (75.2%), followed by hypertension (39%), dyslipidemia (27.2%), and diabetes (23.9%). BMI was a significant predictor of the prevalence of hypertension among Whites (p=0.008) and Blacks (p=0.002) but not Asians (p=0.536). Overall, a high rate of nutrition-related chronic diseases was found among uninsured adults in this study. This supports the need for increased medically, culturally, and economically tailored nutrition education programs in free clinic settings.

Keywords: access to healthcare and health outcomes of vulnerable populations; diabetes and nutrition; health care disparities; health disparities; health disparities and vulnerable populations; nutrition assessment; obesity and nutrition; relationship between diseases and nutrition; uninsured patients.

Grants and funding

This research was supported in part by the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health Under Florida International University`s Research Center in Minority Institutions.