Age-Adjusted Diabetes Mortality Rates for Chicago by Race/Ethnicity: 1991-2007

City level diabetes mortality data, which may be quite helpful, are not readily available. We thus calculated the age-adjusted diabetes mortality rates (AADMR) for Chicago by race/ethnicity and compared these with national data. We examined deaths between the years 1991-2007 using 3-year averages. Data for 2005-2007 reveal extensive variation in the AADMR across racial/ethnic groups. The overall AADMR for Chicago was 28.1 (per 100,000 population); it was 20.7 for Non-Hispanic (NH) Whites, 38.5 for NH Blacks, 26.0 for Mexicans and 69.4 for Puerto Ricans. Puerto Ricans and Mexicans are the only race/ethnic groups for whom the AADMR increased between 1991 and 2007. The 1991-1993 three-year average AADMR for Puerto Ricans in Chicago was 48.1 compared to 69.4 in 2005-2007 (a 31% increase). The Mexican rate also increased during this period: by 16%; from 21.8 to 26.0. For NH Whites the AADMR decreased by 17% while remaining essentially constant for NH Blacks. Comparing these rates to the national data we see that NH Whites in Chicago display AADMRs quite similar to NH Whites nationally while Hispanics in Chicago display slightly higher AADMRs. Notably, NH Blacks in Chicago, on the other hand, display lower AADMRs than NH Blacks nationally: 38.5 compared to 45.8. These differences, which have been widely disseminated in Chicago, have led to substantial community discussion, the acquisition of two NIH grants and the implementation of prominent interventions in a poor NH Black community and a poor predominantly Hispanic community. These will be discussed in detail.