Exploring the Socioeconomic Drivers of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Prevalence and Their Implications for Treatment in the Midwest

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a leading chronic disease globally with its prevalence steadily rising and significantly impacting public health systems. Previous research has indicated correlations between resource scarcity, low income, and limited education completion and T2DM prevalence. However, the degree of influence of these factors on incidence and progression remains unclear. This study aims to identify the most significant socioeconomic determinants of T2DM prevalence and progression in the Midwest to aid healthcare providers in creating maximally effective T2DM treatment plans. Methods include using data from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CHR&R) for Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. We employed ANOVA to compare T2DM prevalence, paired t-tests for state-level comparisons, stepwise regression to identify key socioeconomic predictors, and Spearman correlations. Results revealed that Ohio had the highest T2DM prevalence at 10.75%, significantly higher than Illinois (9.78%), Michigan (9.86%), and Indiana (10.60%). When exploring socioeconomic factors, the best fitting regression model accounted for 77.6% of variance in T2DM. Food insecurity emerged as the most significant predictor (B = -.0000073, t = 5.45, p < .001), suggesting a strong inverse relationship between food insecurity and diabetes prevalence. Median household income had some predictive power (B = -3.10E-5 t = -4.25, p < .001) and high school completion did not. Access to exercise opportunities was negatively correlated with physical inactivity (-0.527, p<.0.001). We urge providers in Ohio and surrounding states to prioritize addressing food insecurity and enhancing exercise opportunities as part of a comprehensive approach to developing T2DM interventions and treatment plans.