Abstract

The ever-increasing prevalence of diabetes mellitus and its associated healthcare costs in the United States has led to our healthcare system's need for cost-effective health resources and chronic disease management. The interventions of Community Health Workers (CHWs) can cost-effectively improve population health and prevent the unnecessary utilization of some medical services especially in rural, low-income, minority populations, where there is often limited access to healthcare. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the number of total CHWs in rural counties and the mean diabetes-related preventable hospitalization rates in Latino patients diagnosed with diabetes in those rural counties. The main goal of this research study is to contribute to the existing literature about the importance of CHWs especially in rural counties and the effect their presence has on diabetes-related preventable hospitalizations. Quantitative rural county data sets were analyzed to determine the correlation between the number of CHWs per rural county and the rate of diabetes-related preventable hospitalizations per rural county. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, this research project was modified to be completed in a timely manner. A statistically insignificant moderately negative linear relationship was found between the two variables. Therefore, there was not enough statistical evidence in the sample to say that this correlation exists in the rural America population. Future research is needed to investigate this relationship more thoroughly.

Thesis Completion

2020

Semester

Spring

Thesis Chair/Advisor

Ortiz, Judith

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Health Professions and Sciences

Department

Health Sciences

Degree Program

Health Sciences Pre-Clinical

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Release Date

5-1-2020

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