Week 6 Discussion – Correlations

Brief Description of the Selected Problem
Diabetes is a chronic condition associated with high blood glucose levels in the blood
(Mayo Clinic Staff, 2021). Classically, blood glucose is the primary source of ATP energy for
the body and is usually derived from the food ingested. Naturally, a lack of insulin or insulin
resistance can result in glucose buildup in the blood. Insulin is a hormone responsible for glucose
uptake from blood to the cells – helping to regulate it in the process. The CDC estimates that
diabetes is one of the prevalent chronic conditions among older adults in the U.S. and globally.
In 2018, the CDC (2020) estimated that 11.5 million (10.1-12.8% of the total population with
diabetes) American adults aged 65 and older had diabetes (diagnosed), and 2.9 million (2.1-
3.6%) had undiagnosed diabetes. In 2019, the World Health Organization directly linked 1.5
million mortalities to diabetes globally. Although several factors have been associated with
diabetes, evidence has consistently shown a direct correlation between overweight and obesity
with increased blood glucose levels.
Research Question
Do obesity and overweight increase the risk of diabetes among older patients?
Null Hypothesis (H 0 )
Obesity and overweight do not increase the risk of diabetes among older patients.
Alternate Hypothesis (H 1 )
Obesity and overweight do increase the risk of diabetes among older patients.
Dependent and Independent Variables
Dependent Variable: risk of diabetes
Independent Variables: obesity and overweight

WEEK 6 DISCUSSION – CORRELATIONS 3
Prediction of the Expected Relationship
Obesity and overweight are expected to correlate with higher diabetes incidences in older
patients.
Other Factors that Might Affect the Outcome
The other factors that might influence the results include a sedentary lifestyle (lack of physical
activity and intake of junk food and less uptake of fruits and vegetables), high blood pressure,
smoking and high alcohol intake, high levels of triglycerides, family history, impaired glucose
tolerance or insulin resistance, and ethnic background (Bellou et al., 2018).

WEEK 6 DISCUSSION – CORRELATIONS 4

References

Bellou, V., et al. (2018). Risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus: An exposure-wide umbrella
review of meta-analyses. PLoS One, 13(3), e0194127. doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0194127
CDC. (2020, June 24). Diabetes: Prevalence of both diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes.
Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/diagnosed-
undiagnosed-diabetes.html
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2021, Aug. 7). Diabetes treatment: Using insulin to manage blood sugar.
Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-
conditions/diabetes/in-depth/diabetes-treatment/art-20044084
World Health Organization. (2021, Apr. 13). Diabetes: Key facts. Retrieved from
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes