Sociodemographic and Diabetes-related Risk Factors in San Diego County, California

Abstract

Background: The research information would enable clinicians and public health professionals to formulate proper interventions for diabetic people according to age, gender, and race. Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between diabetes-related mortality, hospitalization and emergency department discharge, and sociodemographic characteristics, in addition to age-standardized mortality rate analysis. Method: A population-based cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out to determine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and diabetes-related risk factors of the San Diego County residents in 2018, including 49,283 individuals (27,366 males and 21,917 females). Results: The outcomes were found to be statistically significant. Hospitalization and emergency department discharges among males and females were statistically significant. The statistical differences between gender and mortality were not significant. The mortality was not significant in the male group, while it was statistically significant in the female group. The noted agestandardized mortality rate of diabetes stood at 85.8 deaths per 100,000 standard population. Conclusion: This study found that mortality increases as people age, and 85% of deaths were found to be of people older than 65 years. The mortality was two times higher among white and Hispanic males than females. Findings from this study are important in understanding the sociodemographic characteristics at the county level, which can inform diabetes mortality prevention efforts.