Gender and Education Level as Predictor of HbA1c Level
Location
Lions Eye Center
Document Type
Poster
Start Date
28-4-2025 12:00 PM
End Date
28-4-2025 1:30 PM
Description
Introduction: The relationship between gender, education level, and HbA1c has gained attention in diabetes management. While studies suggest that men generally have higher HbA1c levels than women (Ma et al., 2016; Huang et al., 2021), and higher education levels correlate with better diabetic control (Na-Ek et al., 2023; Gomes et al., 2022), the combined effects of gender and education on HbA1c remain underexplored. Purpose: This study aims to explore how gender and education level together influence HbA1c levels. Methods: Data from the NHANES (2021-2023) was analyzed using SAS Universal Viewer and Excel. Participants were categorized based on education level into three groups. Two one-way ANOVAs assessed group differences, followed by Tukey’s HSD for pairwise comparisons. A two-way ANOVA was used to examine the combined effects of gender and education on HbA1c. Results: Participants with a college education or higher had significantly lower HbA1c levels (mean = 5.5) compared to those with a 9th-grade education or less (mean = 6.2, p < 0.01). Men had higher HbA1c (mean = 5.82) than women (mean = 5.71, p = 0.002). Males with less than a 9th-grade education had the highest HbA1c (mean = 6.24, p < 0.01). Discussion: The results highlight significant differences in HbA1c based on education level and gender. Higher education appears to be associated with better metabolic control, as seen by the lower HbA1c levels. The higher HbA1c in males, more specifically those with lower educational level, suggests that interventions targeting both education and gender may help improve diabetes management. These findings highlight the need for better health strategies that address both educational disparities as well as gender differences in care of pre-diabetics and diabetics.
Recommended Citation
Austin, Eric; Blumkin, Sam; and Kieff, Jacob, "Gender and Education Level as Predictor of HbA1c Level" (2025). School of Allied Health Professions Research Day. 3.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/ahrd/2025/posters/3
Gender and Education Level as Predictor of HbA1c Level
Lions Eye Center
Introduction: The relationship between gender, education level, and HbA1c has gained attention in diabetes management. While studies suggest that men generally have higher HbA1c levels than women (Ma et al., 2016; Huang et al., 2021), and higher education levels correlate with better diabetic control (Na-Ek et al., 2023; Gomes et al., 2022), the combined effects of gender and education on HbA1c remain underexplored. Purpose: This study aims to explore how gender and education level together influence HbA1c levels. Methods: Data from the NHANES (2021-2023) was analyzed using SAS Universal Viewer and Excel. Participants were categorized based on education level into three groups. Two one-way ANOVAs assessed group differences, followed by Tukey’s HSD for pairwise comparisons. A two-way ANOVA was used to examine the combined effects of gender and education on HbA1c. Results: Participants with a college education or higher had significantly lower HbA1c levels (mean = 5.5) compared to those with a 9th-grade education or less (mean = 6.2, p < 0.01). Men had higher HbA1c (mean = 5.82) than women (mean = 5.71, p = 0.002). Males with less than a 9th-grade education had the highest HbA1c (mean = 6.24, p < 0.01). Discussion: The results highlight significant differences in HbA1c based on education level and gender. Higher education appears to be associated with better metabolic control, as seen by the lower HbA1c levels. The higher HbA1c in males, more specifically those with lower educational level, suggests that interventions targeting both education and gender may help improve diabetes management. These findings highlight the need for better health strategies that address both educational disparities as well as gender differences in care of pre-diabetics and diabetics.