An estimated 16 million Americans have diabetes. In Missouri, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death for whites and the sixth leading cause for African Americans, accounting for 7.2% of all deaths for a six-year period from 1989 to 1994.
We analyzed 10 years of data (1990-1999) from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. We examined prevalence trends of diabetes and selected risk factors over time for the overall population and sub-populations, stratified by race, gender and obesity. We generated prevalence Odds ratios of association for diabetes, adjusting for demographics and covariates.
Prevalence trends indicated a steady rate of diabetes over the ten-year period. Regression analysis demonstrated that the older the individual, the greater the likelihood of reporting having ever been diagnosed with diabetes. Females and African Americans were 35% and 63% more likely, respectively, to have diabetes. Individuals who were obese were 2.3-fold more likely to have diabetes. Former smokers and those who had no health care coverage were 18% and 33% more likely to have diabetes, respectively.
Conclusions: Prevalence estimates for diabetes over time remained steady, despite the new diagnostic criteria implementing a lower cutoff for fasting plasma glucose. With the growing epidemic of obesity and its implications for diabetes, it is essential for programs to understand the factors related to this increase and the mechanisms by which to reduce diabetes prevalence. Targeting older individuals, African Americans, females, obese individuals, former smokers and those with no health care coverage may potentially impact the burden of diabetes in Missouri.
Learning Objectives: Participants should be able to : (1) Understand the factors that are associated with diabetes; (2) Identify high-risk populations to target for health intervention efforts; and (3) Identify risk factors that need to be addressed in health promotion programs.
Keywords: Diabetes,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.