Study to Examine Type II Diabetes & Race Differences in NNY

POTSDAM, NY (06/24/2011)(readMedia)-- A SUNY Potsdam professor and a student researcher are conducting a study, funded by the College's Kilmer Undergraduate Research Award, to examine the health status of the North Country's population.

Dr. Kelly Bonnar, an assistant professor in the Department of Community Health, and senior Samantha Paige of Norfolk, N.Y., are surveying Northern New York residents to determine whether there are disparities, or avoidable differences, in Type II Diabetes between area residents of different races and ethnicities.

Bonnar said the data obtained from Paige's study will contribute to the evolving St. Lawrence County Rural Minority Health Project. Along with Dr. Maureen McCarthy, associate professor and chair of the Department of Community Health, Bonnar started the project last year.

Bonnar and Paige said that in the United States, racial and ethnic minorities experience health disparities, or face a disproportionate burden of preventable morbidity and mortality compared to non-Hispanic whites. This is especially true in rural areas where poverty levels are high and access to health care is limited.

Compared to other racial/ethnic groups and blacks and African-Americans living in urban areas, rural blacks and African-Americans experience the highest rates of Type II Diabetes nationally. Risk factors for Type II Diabetes include obesity, physical inactivity and a diet high in fat and sodium.

In Northern New York, Bonnar and Paige said, data for Type II Diabetes and its risk factors are reported for non-Hispanic white residents, but unavailable for racial/ethnic minority groups. Therefore, the extent to which blacks and African-Americans are suffering in rural upstate New York from Type II Diabetes and its risk factors is unknown. This is primarily due to the small population size of racial/ethnic minorities in Northern New York.

This study will examine the knowledge of Type II Diabetes, its risk factors, and the perceived threat of Type II Diabetes among non-Hispanic whites and racial/ethnic minorities residing in Northern New York.

To participate in the survey, Northern New York residents can go to the St. Lawrence County Minority Health Project website at sites.google.com/site/slcmhp/home.

You can also link directly to the survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/F2HFLQ9. Residents can also call the researchers for a paper copy of the survey at (315) 267-3188.

SUNY Potsdam's Department of Community Health prepares students to be proactive professionals who can create a sense of overall well-being within communities by providing programs that focus on illness and injury prevention. To find out more, visit www.potsdam.edu/academics/SOEPS/CommunityHealth/index.cfm.

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Founded in 1816, and located on the outskirts of the beautiful Adirondack Park, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges. SUNY Potsdam currently enrolls approximately 4,350 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its handcrafted education, challenging liberal arts and sciences core, excellence in teacher training and leadership in the performing and visual arts.

-www.potsdam.edu-