Voting Participation in Local Elections and Mobility Difficulties Among Persons with Diabetes: Results from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey

Background/Objectives: Civic engagement may be a critical determinant of prognostic outcomes in persons with diabetes. Persons with diabetes are at increased risk for mobility impairment. Little research has explored the role of mobility difficulties in voting participation among persons with diabetes. Methods: To examine whether mobility difficulties influence voting participation in U.S. local elections among persons with diabetes, data was obtained from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey for persons with diabetes (n = 1398). The independent variable was mobility difficulties, defined as difficulty walking or climbing stairs. The dependent variable, voting participation, was assessed by an indication as to whether respondents voted in the last local elections. Weighted logistic regression assessed the influence of mobility difficulties on voting participation adjusting for potentially influential covariates among persons with diabetes. Results: Among persons with diabetes, less than one fifth (18.8%) voted in the last local election and half (48.9%) reported difficulties walking or climbing stairs. In models adjusting for covariates, persons with diabetes who indicated they had difficulties in walking or climbing stairs were significantly less likely to indicate they had voted in the last local election in comparison with those without mobility difficulties (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 0.638, 95% confidence interval (CI) = (0.443, 0.918)). Persons with diabetes who were female, married, had graduated from college or technical school, or rated their health as good/very good were significantly more likely to report having voted in a local election. Conclusions: Initiatives are needed to foster voting participation among persons with diabetes and mobility difficulties.