Effects of Regional Income, Race, and Educational Level on Incidence of Diabetes and Heart Disease in Ohio

Background: Socioeconomic factors such as income, education, race, age, and weight are thought to be contributing factors for the incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Diabetes and cardiovascular disease are not only serious health complications but also cause significant financial burden to the health care system, both in Ohio and the US. This study seeks to examine the relationship of these socioeconomic factors to the prevalence of these 2 diseases in Ohio using the data available from Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS). Methods: Fourteen regions in Ohio were analyzed using logistic regression for socioeconomic impacts on diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Data for this study were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems (BRFSS) for the years 2011 through 2018. Results: Our results indicate that a strong relationship exists between age and weight with both diabetes and cardiovascular disease in all 14 regions of Ohio, as expected. However, the contribution of the other socioeconomic factors, except income and education levels, is less certain. Conclusion: This study suggests that besides promoting public health programs that focus on weight and age, effort should be made to evolve strategies promoting increased levels of income augmentation in the population.