Screening for diabetes in an African American community: identifying characteristics associated with abnormal blood glucose readings.

Objective: To identify characteristics associated with abnormal blood glucose readings among African Americans and to determine the potential value of a more targeted approach to community-based screenings for type 2 diabetes.

Methods: Data were collected from 7113 participants with no previous diagnosis of diabetes at mobile screening events in Detroit, Michigan. Data collected included gender, race, age, self-reported height and weight, total diabetes risk score, blood pressure, and random capillary blood glucose.

Results: Nearly 9% of participants had abnormal random plasma glucose readings (RPG>or=160 mg/dL). Results indicated that higher age, elevated blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly associated with abnormal glucose readings.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that community-based screenings for diabetes that are targeted to adults aged more than 50 years who have high blood pressure or a BMI of at least 25 may enhance detection of abnormal glucose levels among African Americans.