254778 Role of race/ethnicity in diabetes disease burden: A study of hospital discharge data in Chicago

Wednesday, October 31, 2012 : 12:30 PM - 12:45 PM

Jana Hirschtick, MPH , Sinai Urban Health Institute, Sinai Health System, Chicago, IL
Joseph F. West, MSc, ScD , Sinai Health System, Sinai Urban Health Institute, Chicago, IL
Steven Whitman, PhD , Sinai Urban Health Institute, Sinai Health System, Chicago, IL
The prevalence of diabetes is reaching epidemic proportions in the U.S., particularly for minorities. To investigate this phenomenon further, we analyzed diabetes discharges rates for Chicago, a heavily segregated city, by race/ethnicity (R/E). A three-year average age-adjusted diabetes discharge rate (AADDR) was calculated for both principal and any diagnosis of diabetes for 2008-2010 for 52 Chicago zip codes and the entire city. For principal diagnosis at the city level, Non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB) had the highest AADDR at 426.0 per 100,000 population. Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) had the lowest AADDR at 120.6, yielding an NHB:NHW rate ratio (RR) of 3.53. The AADDR for Hispanics (263.0) was comparable to Chicago's rate (288.9). Similar trends were seen for any diagnosis of diabetes, although R/E differences were smaller, with a NHB:NHW RR of 2.15. This lower RR may be attributable to variations in access to and use of health care among R/E groups. Nevertheless, both RRs are higher than the national RR of 1.77, demonstrating that national estimates are inadequate for understanding local disparities. For principal diagnosis at the zip code level, AADDR ranged from 38.0 to 626.6 per 100,000 population. AADDR was positively correlated with % Black (r=0.84, p<.0001) and negatively correlated with median household income (r=-0.71, p<.0001). The relationship between AADDR and income remained significant for predominantly white (>60%) zip codes, but lost significance for predominantly black zip codes. These results suggest the role of R/E may be more influential than income and location in determining diabetes disease burden in Chicago.

Learning Areas:
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Assess the complex roles of race/ethnicity, income, and location in determining diabetes burden in Chicago.

Keywords: Health Disparities, Diabetes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am an epidemiologist engaged in health disparities research at the Sinai Urban Health Institute. Since graduating with an MPH, I have pursued scientific research interests including clinical trials, the health of underserved populations, and the social determinants of health.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.