Tag: Alicia DeLouize

Suicidal thoughts and attempts in the Study of global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)

Presenter(s): Tyra Judge—International Studies

Faculty Mentor(s): Alicia DeLouize, J. Josh Snodgrass

Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation

Suicide is estimated to account for around 800,000 deaths per year, worldwide . While 79% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), most studies on suicide have been done in high-income countries . With the lack of research where the highest rates of suicide are presented, as well as in older and aging populations, it is necessary to form a body of research around this . Here we will present that the percentage of suicidal thoughts and attempts have great variance in LMICs, which can be attributed to multiple different factors . Suicidality was high in LMICs, with different countries having 25% to 53% of people who were depressed having suicidal thoughts and 4% to 26% of people who were depressed having attempted suicide . Predictors of suicidal thoughts and attempts varied widely by country and gender, with poor health being the most common predictor (B’s = 0 .10 to 2 .20, p’s < .01 in China, Russia, India, and Ghana), followed by wealth (B’s = -2 .71 to 1 .03, p’s < .05 in China and Ghana), age (B’s = -0 .14 to 0 .03, p’s < .05 in Mexico and Ghana), memory(B’s = -0 .78 to 0 .53, p < .05 in South Africa), marriage (B’s = -1 .85 to 1 .77, p < .05 in India), and social cohesion (B’s = -0 .16 to 0 .11, p < .05 in South Africa . Our results demonstrate that while these predictors vary widely, they are often affected by socioeconomic status and culture in some way . In our research, we hope it allows for a broader look into where these differences in the predictors come from, specifically when looking at culture, socioeconomic status, health, and gender relations .

The under-diagnosis of diabetes and its associated risk factors in older adults from Mexico, China, and South Africa

Presenter(s): Mimi Hudson—Human Physiology

Faculty Mentor(s): Josh Snodgrass, Alicia DeLouize

Session: Prerecorded Poster Presentation

Underdiagnosis of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance is a problem in many parts of the world, despite the well-documented negative effects on health . The longer that diabetes goes undiagnosed, the worse these effects are and the more difficult they become to treat . Previous studies have shown that the increasing rates of type 2 diabetes globally are closely related to changes in lifestyle and socioeconomic status . It is those in poorer countries, along with the minority and disadvantaged groups in wealthy countries, that face the biggest risk . Although there is much information available on the increasing prevalence of diabetes, many studies fail to report the underdiagnosis rate (the rate of self-reported diabetes compared to the actual rate of diabetes, as measured by blood measures such as glucose or glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]) of diabetes . Biomarker and survey data on older adults (age ≥ 50) living in Mexico from Wave 1 of the World Health Organization’s Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE; N = 12,945) were used to compare self-report diagnosed diabetes to measured HbA1c level available from dried blood spot samples . Results indicate that 7%, 10%, and 77% of participants had diabetes (HbA1c ≥ 6 .5%) yet had not been previously clinically diagnosed in China, Mexico, and South Africa respectively . Yet, 94% to 98% of people that had diabetes without a diagnosis reported receiving healthcare the last time they needed it . In all three countries, people that had diabetes without a diagnosis were more likely to rate their health as better than people with diabetes and a diagnosis (b’s = 0 .45 to 0 .80, p’s < .05) . In China and South Africa, people with smaller amounts of wealth (b’s = -1 .18 to -0 .96, p’s < .001) and people living in rural areas (b’s = 0 .57 to 0 .78, p’s < .001) were more likely to lack a diagnosis for diabetes . Other predictors include being male in South Africa (b = 0 .34, p = .02) and being younger in China (b = – .04, p < .001)