The Impact of Socioeconomic Status, Race/Ethnicity, and Lifestyle Habits on Diabetes Among African Americans, Latinos and Non-Hispanic Whites Age 35 and Over

ABSTRACT The Impact of Socioeconomic Status, Race/Ethnicity and Lifestyle Habits on Diabetes Among African Americans, Latinos and Non-Hispanic Whites Age 35 and Older By Yolanda Siegmeth Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in California (Conroy, Pendleton & Bates, 2014) and the United States (Centers for Disease Control, 2012). Diabetes has grown to become a public health concern for Americans as it has reached widespread proportions (Mainous, Diaz & Geesey, 2008, Merlotti, Morabito, Ceriani & Pontiroli, 2014). This study examines the impact of socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and lifestyle habits on diabetes among African Americans, Latinos and Non-Hispanic Whites age 35 and older. The data utilized for this study was gathered from the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS) 2011. The independent variables utilized in this study were socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and lifestyle habits including Body Mass Index (BMI). The dependent variable was diabetes. The results indicate that consistent predictors of diabetes are poverty and overweight status/obesity. Additionally, outcomes indicate that diabetes is two times higher among African Americans and Latinos than Non-Hispanic Whites. The results of this study suggest that social workers, health care professionals and policy makers work toward the development and implementation of interventions designed to address risk factors for this growing public health concern