Impact of neighborhood context on older latinos diabetes status: Findings from the Sacramento area Latino aging study (SALSA)

Background: Where we live affects our health. For older Latinos the community they reside in contributes to their overall health, as they are more likely to reside in lower socioeconomic position (SEP) neighborhoods and therefore more likely to have negative health outcomes. Among older Latino adults, and specifically lower SEP individuals, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors such as diabetes, obesity, and hypertension is particularly high. Therefore it is hypothesized that low neighborhood SEP will negatively impact older Latino's chronic health, specifically their diabetes status, over and above their own socioeconomic status. Methods: Participants are from the Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging. The Sacramento Area Latino Study on Aging is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of 1,789 community dwelling older Mexican Americans (aged 60–101 years at baseline in 1998–1999) residing in California's Sacramento Valley. Participants were reassessed at their homes every 12–15 months through 2008, for a total of 7 follow-up examinations. Neighborhood socioeconomic measures from the Census were geocoded and linked to participant data. Results: Participants diabetes status was associated with lower SEP neighborhood, lower concentrations of Latinos residing in the neighborhood, US born, have a higher body mass index (BMI), lower levels of physical activity, less likely to consume alcohol, and more likely to report depressive symptoms than participants without diabetes. Discussion: Neighborhood SEP may be important with respect to older Latino diabetes status.