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HRQL is an important outcome in monitoring health status. Understanding the levels and influences of HRQL in U.S.-Mexico border residents with diabetes may help improve diabetes management programs.

The problem of testing equality of a large number of densities is considered. The classical k-sample problem compares a small, fixed number of distributions and allows the sample size from each distribution to increase without bound. In our asymptotic analysis the number of distributions tends to infinity but the size of individual samples remains fixed. The proposed test statistic is motivated by the simple idea of comparing kernel density estimators from the various samples to the average of all density estimators. However, a novel interpretation of this familiar type of statistic arises upon centering it. The asymptotic distribution of the statistic under the null hypothesis of equal densities is derived, and power against local alternatives is considered. It is shown that a consistent test is attainable in many situations where all but a vanishingly small proportion of densities are equal to each other. The test is studied via simulations, and an illustration involving microarray data is provided.

Objective. To examine the association between diabetes-related lower-extremity amputation (LEA) and ethnicity, age, source of payment, geographic location, diabetes severity, and health condition in adults with diabetes mellitus type 2 living in border and non-border counties in Texas, United States of America, and to assess intra-border region geographic differences in post-LEA treatment. Methods. This correlational study was based on secondary data from the 2003 Texas Inpatient Hospital Discharge Data. The sample consisted of individuals 45 years of age and older with type 2 diabetes who had undergone a nontraumatic LEA (n = 5 865). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analyses were applied. Results. The following characteristics were predictors of LEA: being Hispanic or African American, male, ≥ 55 years old, and a Medicare or Medicaid user, and living in a border county. Persons with moderate diabetes and those who suffered from cardiovascular disease or stroke also had higher odds of undergoing an LEA. Post-LEA occupational therapy was significantly less prevalent among border residents (9.5%) than non-border residents (15.3%) (P < 0.001). Conclusion. Understanding the factors that influence diabetes-related LEA may lead to early detection and effective treatment of this disabling consequence of diabetes along the U.S.-Mexico border. Amputation; border health; diabetes mellitus, type 2; minority health; Mexico; Texas; United States.