The Effect of Vitamin D Supplementation on Blood Lipids in Minorities with Type 2 Diabetes.

Introduction: Vitamin D deficiency and type 2 diabetes are common among Hispanics and African Americans in the US. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of supplemental vitamin D intake (4000 IU/day or 6000 IU/day of vitamin D3 over a 6-month period) on blood lipids in a sample of African Americans and Hispanics with type 2 diabetes and vitamin D insufficiency.

Materials And Methods: Participants (n = 75) were recruited by community outreach.

Validation of a Sun Exposure Questionnaire Among Subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Residing in South Florida.

To validate a sun exposure questionnaire against objective measures of change in skin color and to assess its validity in predicting 25(OH)D in a sample of African Americans and Hispanics with type 2 diabetes. Ninety subjects were enrolled. The sun exposure score was calculated by multiplying the time spent outdoors times the skin exposed score.

Lifestyle behaviors and self-rated health: the living for health program.

Background: Lack of adherence to dietary and physical activity guidelines has been linked to an increase in chronic diseases in the United States (US). The aim of this study was to assess the association of lifestyle behaviors with self-rated health (SRH).

Methods: This cross-sectional study used self-reported data from Living for Health Program (N = 1,701) which was conducted from 2008 to 2012 in 190 health fair events in South Florida, US.

Skin Color and Self-reported Sun Exposure Scores are Associated with Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D Concentrations in a Multi-ethnic Population Living in South Florida.

Aims: The aim was to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], skin color and sun exposure score.

Study Design: Cross-sectional.

Place And Duration Of Study: Florida International University, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Miami, Florida from July 2012 to October 2012.

Use of Homeostatic Model Assessment Indexes for the Identification of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance among Cuban-Americans: A Cross Sectional Study.

Aim: to determine cut off points for The Homeostatic Model Assessment Index 1 and 2 (HOMA-1 and HOMA-2) for identifying insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome among a Cuban-American population.

Study Design: Cross sectional.

Place And Duration Of Study: Florida International University, Robert Stempel School of Public Health and Social Work, Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Miami, FL from July 2010 to December 2011.

The association of depression and perceived stress with beta cell function between African and Haitian Americans with and without type 2 diabetes.

Background: Diabetes and diabetes-related complications are major causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Depressive symptoms and perceived stress have been identified as possible risk factors for beta cell dysfunction and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to assess associations between depression symptoms and perceived stress with beta cell function between African and Haitian Americans with and without type 2 diabetes.

Use of hemoglobin A1C to detect Haitian-Americans with undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To evaluate the validity of hemoglobin A1C (A1C) as a diagnostic tool for type 2 diabetes and to determine the most appropriate A1C cutoff point for diagnosis in a sample of Haitian-Americans.

Subjects And Methods: Subjects (n = 128) were recruited from Miami-Dade and Broward counties, FL. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was run in order to measure sensitivity and specificity of A1C for detecting diabetes at different cutoff points.

Television watching, diet quality, and physical activity and diabetes among three ethnicities in the United States.

Diabetes is a world-wide epidemic associated with multiple environmental factors. Prolonged television viewing (TV) time has been related to increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes in several studies. TV viewing has been positively associated with cardiovascular disease risk factors, lower energy expenditure, over-eating high-calorie and high-fat foods.

Serum vitamin D insufficiency and diabetes status in three ethnic minority groups.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and diabetes status in three ethnicities. This cross sectional study included Cuban Americans (n = 199), Haitian Americans (n = 253) and African Americans (n = 248) with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) from Florida, U.S.

Healthy Eating Index scores associated with symptoms of depression in Cuban-Americans with and without type 2 diabetes: a cross sectional study.

Background: Low diet quality and depression symptoms are independently associated with poor glycemic control in subjects with type 2 diabetes (T2D); however, the relationship between them is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the association between diet quality and symptoms of depression among Cuban-Americans with and without T2D living in South Florida.

Methods: Subjects (n = 356) were recruited from randomly selected mailing list.

Hypertension, poor glycemic control, and microalbuminuria in Cuban Americans with type 2 diabetes.

Purpose: To investigate to what degree the presence of hypertension (HTN) and poor glycemic control (GC) influences the likelihood of having microalbuminuria (MAU) among Cuban Americans with type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted in Cuban Americans (n = 179) with T2D. Participants were recruited from a randomly generated mailing list purchased from Knowledge-Base Marketing, Inc.

Use of HbA(1c) in screening for Cuban-Americans with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes.

This study evaluated the use of HbA(1c) as a screening tool for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes (fasting plasma glucose ≥7.0 mmol/l) in a sample of Cuban-Americans aged ≥ 30 years old. Subjects were randomly recruited from Miami-Dade and Broward counties, FL.