Link Between Housing Instability and Poor Diabetes Control

In people with type 2 diabetes, moving once a year or more is associated with poor glycemic (blood sugar) control, stated a cross-sectional study.

The study examined the relationship between housing insecurity and diabetes control in over 25,000 patients from Northern California, being presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year.

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‘Housing insecurity may be a risk factor for poor blood sugar control.’

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"People with diabetes who may have trouble paying rent, move frequently, stay with relatives, or spend the majority of household income on housing, may struggle with routine, medication adherence, and prioritising their diabetes management," explains Dr Tainayah Thomas from Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, Oakland, USA, who led the research.

Poor glycemic control causes damage to various organs and leads to life-threatening diseases like heart disease, kidney disease, and retinopathy.

Previous studies have discovered barriers to glycemic control, but little research has examined the link between glycemic control and housing insecurity.

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Study Details

Researchers analyzed the EHRs of 25,614 adults (average age 62 years; 50% women) with type 2 diabetes. The patients were 21% Hispanic, 22% white, 23% Asian, and 30% black.

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At least one address change was linked to a 14% increased relative risk of poorly controlled blood sugar (HbA1c >9), 6% lower risk of well-controlled blood sugar (HbA1c < 8), compared to not having an address change.

One or more address changes were associated with 44% increased likelihood of an emergency department visit and 8% decreased likelihood of having a flu shot (vaccination), compared to no address change.

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"Housing instability could potentially negatively affect glycemic control, increase use of emergency services and decrease use of preventive services in people with type 2 diabetes," says Dr Thomas. "Identifying individuals with housing insecurity issues and providing resources aimed at assuring continuity of care and healthcare access could help mitigate the risk of poor diabetes control."

Future research and community outreach efforts should continue to explore how to mitigate potential housing insecurity impacts on chronic disease management.

Source-Medindia