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Glycemic control among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes from the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study: Do structural and functional social support play a role?

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Abstract

Social support is one potential source of health-related resiliency in Hispanics with diabetes. This study examined relationships of structural (i.e., social integration) and functional (i.e., perceived) social support with glycemic control (glycosylated hemoglobin; HbA1c) in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos Sociocultural Ancillary Study. This study included 766 men and women representing multiple Hispanic ethnic backgrounds, aged 18–74 years, with diagnosed diabetes who completed fasting blood draw, medication review, and measures of sociodemographic factors, medical history, structural support (Cohen Social Network Index), and functional support (Interpersonal Support Evaluation List-12). After adjusting for sociodemographic covariates and medication, a one standard deviation increase in functional support was related to an 0.18 % higher HbA1c (p = 0.04). A similar trend was observed for structural support; however, this effect was non-significant in adjusted models. Greater functional support was associated with poorer glycemic control in Hispanics.

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Notes

  1. Hispanic will be used to encompass Hispanic, Latino, and other terms that may be preferable to specific groups, acknowledging the range of opinion surrounding the use and relevance of these terms.

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Acknowledgments

The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos was carried out as a collaborative study supported by contracts from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to the University of North Carolina (N01-HC65233), University of Miami (N01-HC65234), Albert Einstein College of Medicine (N01-HC65235), Northwestern University (N01-HC65236), and San Diego State University (N01-HC65237). The following Institutes/Centers/Offices contribute to the HCHS/SOL through a transfer of funds to the NHLBI: National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Office of Dietary Supplements. The HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study was supported by grant 1 RC2 HL101649 from the NHLBI (Gallo/Penedo PIs). The authors thank the staff and participants of HCHS/SOL and the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study for their important contributions.

Conflict of Interest

Authors Fortmann, Roesch, Penedo, Isasi, Carnethon, Corsino, Schneiderman, Daviglus, Teng, Giachello, Gonzalez, and Gallo have no conflict of interest.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

All procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Correspondence to Linda C. Gallo.

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Fortmann, A.L., Roesch, S.C., Penedo, F.J. et al. Glycemic control among U.S. Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes from the HCHS/SOL Sociocultural Ancillary Study: Do structural and functional social support play a role?. J Behav Med 38, 153–159 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-014-9587-0

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