Impact of Language Barriers on Complications and Mortality Among Immigrants With Diabetes: A Population-Based Cohort Study
Minority Diabetes Reports Thursday, August 7th, 2014Diabetes Care July 15, 2014
OBJECTIVE Our objective was to examine the effect of language barriers on the risk of acute and chronic complications of diabetes and on mortality among immigrants.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Linked health and immigration databases were used to identify 87,707 adults with diabetes who immigrated to Ontario, Canada, between 1985 and 2005. These individuals were included in our cohort and stratified by language ability at the time of their immigration application. Primary end points included: one or more emergency department visit or hospitalization for (1) hypo- or hyperglycemia, skin and soft tissue infection, or foot ulcer, and (2) a cardiovascular event or death between April 1, 2005, and February 29, 2012. Read more