United States-Mexico border diabetes prevalence survey: lessons learned from implementation of the project

Abstract

This paper reviews and discusses the main procedures and policies that need to be followed when designing and implementing a binational survey such as the United States of America (U.S.)-Mexico Border Diabetes Prevalence Study that took place between 2001 and 2002. The main objective of the survey was to determine the prevalence of diabetes in the population 18 years of age or older along U.S.-Mexico border counties and municipalities. Several political, administrative, financial, legal, and cultural issues were identified as critical factors that need to be considered when developing and implementing similar binational projects. The lack of understanding of public health practices, implementation of existing policies, legislation, and management procedures in Mexico and the United States may delay or cancel binational research, affecting the working relation of both countries. Many challenges were identified: multiagency/multifunding, ethical/budget clearances, project management, administrative procedures, laboratory procedures, cultural issues, and project communications. Binational projects are complex; they require coordination between agencies and institutions at federal, state, and local levels and between countries and need a political, administrative, bureaucratic, cultural, and language balance. Binational agencies and staff should coordinate these projects for successful implementation.

Tuberculosis Treatment for Mexican Americans Living on the U.S.–Mexico Border

“…Second, the population's low socioeconomic status frequently results in crowded housing and limited access to health care (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ). Finally, TB may spread more rapidly because of the difficulty of managing an infectious disease across an international border (de Cosio, Diaz‐Apodaca, Ruiz‐Holguin, Lara, & Castillo‐Salgado, ).…”

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“…37 Commonly, patients are not examined until they have severe ocular damage, a scenario that contributes to high retinopathy rates. 2,4,38…”

“…Diabetes educators and health care providers who approach the Mexico-US border as an integral epidemiological unit in which standards of diabetes care are consistently implemented, health care providers who are knowledgeable of the state of the science for diabetes care, and data collection tools such as the BRFSS and data analyses that are shared have the potential to strengthen diabetes surveillance and binational health policies for decreasing diabetes health disparities. de Cosío et al 38 provide direction for designing and implementing a binational survey and should be followed. Data collected from the binational tool could be used to inform the development, effective targeting, and evaluation of future binational diabetes health interventions.…”

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“…border region. The recommendations put forth by de Cosío and colleagues ( 34 ) provide direction for the design and implementation of a binational survey and should be followed. Data collected using the modified BRFSS could be used to inform the development, effective targeting, and evaluation of future binational health T2DM interventions.…”