Socioeconomic status and type 2 diabetes in African American and non-Hispanic white women and men: Evidence from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Objectives. This study examined the associations of poverty income ratio (P IR); education, and occupational status with type 2 diabetes prevalence amo ng African American and non-Hispanic White (White) women and men aged 40 to 74 years. Methods. We analyzed cross-sectional data from the Third National Health an d Nutrition Examination Survey,controlling for age and examination-related variables. Results. Among African American women. there was a strong, graded associati on between PIR and diabetes, which remained significant after other risk fa ctors were adjusted for. All 3 variables were significantly associated with diabetes among White women. Among White men, only PIR was significantly as sociated with diabetes. Controlling for risk factors substantially attenuat ed these associations among White women. There were no significant associat ions for African American men. Conclusions. Socioeconomic status is associated with type 2 diabetes preval ence among women, but not consistently among men. Diabetes prevalence is mo re Strongly associated with PIR than with education or occupational status. These associations are largely independent of other risk factors, especial ly among African American women. Economic resources should be addressed in efforts to explain and reverse the increasing prevalence of diabetes in the United States.