Glycosylated Hemoglobin Level as an Indicator for Depression Among Hispanic Diabetics

Cheryl Tilley

East Tennessee State University, College of Nursing, Biomedical Sciences

Diabetes mellitus is a progressive disease that is rapidly becoming a major health concern among the Hispanic population. Hispanic diabetics have been identified as having an increased incidence of depression. Improving identification of depression in this subgroup is crucial. The objective was to determine whether elevated glycosylated hemoglobin levels could be used as an indicator for depression among Hispanic individuals with diabetes. This retrospective chart audit identified 14% of patients with a diagnosis of diabetes and depression based on ICD-9 codes. An independent t-test was used to determine differences between groups. There was no significant difference between patients diagnosed with depression and diabetes and patients without depression.   Further research is needed with larger samples to understand the relationship between depression and diabetes in the Hispanic population.