New Findings on Managed Care Described by Investigators at University of Alabama Birmingham (Associations Between Suboptimal Social Determinants of Health and Diabetes Distress In Low-income Patients On Medicaid): Managed Care

2025 MAR 27 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- Researchers detail new data in Managed Care. According to news reporting from Birmingham, Alabama, by NewsRx journalists, research stated, “To determine associations between suboptimal social determinants of health (SDoH) and diabetes distress in adults with diabetes on Medicaid. We surveyed adults with type 2 diabetes covered by Alabama Medicaid.”

Funders for this research include NIH National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), UAB Diabetes Research Center, NIH National Institute on Minority Health & Health Disparities (NIMHD), American Heart Association.

The news correspondents obtained a quote from the research from the University of Alabama Birmingham, “Diabetes distress was assessed using the Diabetes Distress Scale. Suboptimal SDoH included food or housing insecurity; having < high school degree; being unemployed; and household income < $10,000/year. Unadjusted associations between individual SDoH and diabetes distress were examined using logistic regression. We also examined the association between the number of suboptimal SDoH and distress. Multivariable models controlled for age, sex, race, marital status, rurality, diabetes duration, social support, and insulin use. In total, 433 patients participated (mean age, 50 years (SD 10.4); 80% female; 62% Black). Roughly 32% reported food insecurity, participants experienced a mean of 2 (SD, 0.9; range 0-5) suboptimal SDoH. There was increased odds of diabetes distress in participants who reported food insecurity (OR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.36-3.65 and OR, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.40-3.93). For each additional suboptimal SDoH a patient experienced, they had increased odds of experiencing diabetes distress (OR, 1.50; CI, 1.15-2.01).”

According to the news reporters, the research concluded: “Participants with diabetes who reported food insecurity or experienced a higher number of suboptimal social determinants of health had an increased likelihood of experiencing diabetes distress.”

This research has been peer-reviewed.

For more information on this research see: Associations Between Suboptimal Social Determinants of Health and Diabetes Distress In Low-income Patients On Medicaid. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2025. Journal of General Internal Medicine can be contacted at: Springer, One New York Plaza, Suite 4600, New York, Ny, United States. (Wiley-Blackwell - http://www.wiley.com/; Journal of General Internal Medicine - http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1525-1497)

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting Emily H. Williams, University of Alabama Birmingham, School of Medicine, Dept. of Medicine, Tinsley Harrison Internal Med Residency Training P, 1808 7TH Ave South, Birmingham, AL 35233, United States. Additional authors for this research include Lucia D. Juarez, Caroline A. Presley, April Agne, Andrea L. Cherrington and Carrie R. Howell.

The direct object identifier (DOI) for that additional information is: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-025-09367-z. This DOI is a link to an online electronic document that is either free or for purchase, and can be your direct source for a journal article and its citation.

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