ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Health and Nutrition
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1695472
This article is part of the Research TopicNavigating the Gut-Health Nexus: Unveiling the Impact of Dietary and Lifestyle Risk Factors on Gastrointestinal DisordersView all articles
The Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Diabetic Gastroparesis: A Retrospective Analysis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Universitatea Titu Maiorescu Facultatea de Medicina, Bucharest, Romania
- 2Spitalul Universitar de Urgenta Elias, Bucharest, Romania
- 3Universitatea Dunarea de Jos din Galati Facultatea de Medicina si Farmacie, Galați, Romania
- 4Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- 5Universitatea de Medicina si Farmacie Carol Davila din Bucuresti, Bucharest, Romania
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Abstract Objectives: This study explores the importance of social factors, Social Determinants of Health (SDOH), particularly poverty, on patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), who developed gastroparesis. The analysis aimed to correlate social variables such as income, education, occupation, and loneliness with clinical outcomes and their association with clinical outcomes and healthcare utilization, using hospitalization frequency and symptom burden as proxy indicators of quality of life. Methods: This retrospective observational study analyzed a subgroup of 50 patients with diabetic gastroparesis, selected from a larger cohort of 250 patients diagnosed with gastroparesis. Diabetic gastroparesis was confirmed via gastric scintigraphy. Demographic, clinical, and social variables were analyzed, and data collection was facilitated through a structured instrument using the software EpiInfo. Results: In this retrospective observational study, the majority of patients were obese females over 60 years of age, retired, and residing in rural areas. Loneliness emerged as a significant aggravating factor. Low income was associated with increased complications, frequent hospitalizations, and higher overall healthcare expenditure. Conclusions: Diabetic gastroparesis is an underdiagnosed complication of T2DM, frequently worsened by social vulnerability. In this study, low income, rural residence, obesity and loneliness were identified as key social determinants modulating disease severity and healthcare utilization. Greater emphasis on addressing these SDOH is necessary to optimize outcomes and reduce hospitalization rates, insurance expenses, and overall healthcare burden (used herein as proxy indicators of reduced quality of life).
Keywords: type 2 diabetes mellitus, Diabetic gastroparesis, social determinants of health, Obesity, Low income
Received: 29 Aug 2025; Accepted: 22 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Soare, Tudose, Stefan and MIRICA. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: ROXANA Elena MIRICA, roxmirica@yahoo.com
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