Advisory Committee Chair
Larrell Wilkinson
Advisory Committee Members
Mary Sallese
Mohanraj Thirumalai
Monique Amamoo
Retta Evans
Document Type
Dissertation
Date of Award
1-1-2025
Degree Name by School
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) School of Education
Abstract
Type II Diabetes (T2D) management yield positive outcomes in glycemic control, lifestyle behaviors, knowledge enhancement, and self-care. Persons with disability (PWDs) - regardless of disability type - are faced with additional challenges in diabetes self- management. Moreover, PWDs exhibit adverse outcomes across various measures of social determinants of health (SDOH) compared to individuals without disabilities. This dissertation explored four research aims to examine the impact of adverse SDOH experiences on T2D self- management among persons with physical disability utilizing a preprint/reprint format - with each aim leading to a manuscript. Secondary data analysis using the 2022 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was conducted for three of the aims and a qualitative study was utilized for the fourth aim. The first aim examined the association between SDOH experiences and disability status. Findings from the first aim indicated that PWDs and T2D are more likely to be socially isolated, stress, unable to pay their bills and more likely to lack reliable transportation. The second aim investigated the relationship between A1c check and experiences of adverse conditions of SDOH. Findings from the second aim indicated that persons with vision impairments and T2D who lack health insurance or have lost their employment or have reduced work hours are less likely to get their A1c checked by a healthcare professional at least twice a year. The third aim examined the association between getting an annual diabetes-related eye exam and experiences of adverse conditions of SDOH. Findings from the third aim indicated that persons with mobility impairments and T2D who experience loss of employment or reduced work hours have a decreased likelihood of getting an annual diabetes-related eye exam. The fourth aim was a qualitative study that explored the perceptions of persons with mobility disability and T2DM on the impact of SDOH on their self-diabetes management. Findings indicated that adverse SDOH experiences like lack of reliable transportation hindered effective diabetes self-management while non-adverse SDOH experiences like access to health insurance promoted diabetes self-management. Subsequently, our findings suggest that effective diabetes self-management for persons with vision and mobility impairments requires addressing related environmental and sociocultural barriers.
Recommended Citation
Aboagye, Anita, "The Association Of Social Determinants Of Health And Type Ii Diabetes Self-Management Among Persons Living With Physical Disability (Mobility & Visual Impairments)" (2025). All ETDs from UAB. 6815.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/6815
Comments
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