Disparities in Diabetes: The Nexus of Race, Poverty, and Place

American Journal of Public Health: Apr 24, 2013

Objectives. We sought to determine the role of neighborhood poverty and racial composition on race disparities in diabetes prevalence.

Methods. We used data from the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and 2000 US Census to estimate the impact of individual race and poverty and neighborhood racial composition and poverty concentration on the odds of having diabetes.

Results. We found a race–poverty–place gradient for diabetes prevalence for Blacks and poor Whites. The odds of having diabetes were higher for Blacks than for Whites. Individual poverty increased the odds of having diabetes for both Whites and Blacks. Living in a poor neighborhood increased the odds of having diabetes for Blacks and poor Whites. Read More