Diabetes Disparities by Education and Activity Level (NHANES 2007-2010)

• In Event: 343 - Section on Medical Sociology Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 18. Education and Health

Abstract

Physical activity, along with healthy diet, is a cornerstone of diabetes prevention and management; however levels of physical activity and rates of diabetes vary significantly across socioeconomic lines. Education, in particular, has shown to have a significant influence on the behaviors individual choose to engage in as well as the opportunities individuals have for healthy and unhealthy choices. To better understand the relationship between physical activity, education, and diabetes, this study uses data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey to determine if the likelihood of having diabetes or being at risk for diabetes is changed by being physically active and if the change is equal among individuals with different levels of education. Results from a multinomial logistic regression analysis indicate that those who are active and have a college education are significantly less likely to be at risk for diabetes (prediabetes) than those who are not active, while being active did not significantly reduce the likelihood of having prediabetes for those with less than a college degree. Furthermore, being active did significantly reduce the likelihood of have diabetes for those with less than a high school degree, a high school degree, and a college degree, but did not significantly change the likelihood of having diabetes for those with only some college. These findings suggest that positive health behaviors such as physical activity may benefit some groups more than others which may contribute to growing socioeconomic health disparities.

Author

• Kyle Alan Chapman, University of Kansas