Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar;22(3):117-128.
doi: 10.1007/s11892-022-01454-3. Epub 2022 Mar 3.

Social Determinants of Health, Race, and Diabetes Population Health Improvement: Black/African Americans as a Population Exemplar

Felicia Hill-Briggs  1 , Patti L Ephraim  2 , Elizabeth A Vrany  2 , Karina W Davidson  2 , Renee Pekmezaris  2 , Debbie Salas-Lopez  3 , Catherine M Alfano  2   4 , Tiffany L Gary-Webb  5
Affiliations
Review

Social Determinants of Health, Race, and Diabetes Population Health Improvement: Black/African Americans as a Population Exemplar

Felicia Hill-Briggs et al. Curr Diab Rep. 2022 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose of review: To summarize evidence of impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on diabetes risk, morbidity, and mortality and to illustrate this impact in a population context.

Recent findings: Key findings from the American Diabetes Association's scientific review of five SDOH domains (socioeconomic status, neighborhood and physical environment, food environment, health care, social context) are highlighted. Population-based data on Black/African American adults illustrate persisting diabetes disparities and inequities in the SDOH conditions in which this population is born, grows, lives, and ages, with historical contributors. SDOH recommendations from US national committees largely address a health sector response, including health professional education, SDOH measurement, and patient referral to services for social needs. Fewer recommendations address solutions for systemic racism and socioeconomic discrimination as root causes. SDOH are systemic, population-based, cyclical, and intergenerational, requiring extension beyond health care solutions to multi-sector and multi-policy approaches to achieve future population health improvement.

Keywords: Diabetes; Health care disparities; Health care inequalities; Population health; Racial minorities; Social determinants of health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article were reported. Karina W. Davidson is Chair of the US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). This article does not represent the views and policies of the USPSTF.

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2020. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2020.
    1. Dieleman JL, Cao J, Chapin A, Chen C, Li Z, Liu A, et al. US health care spending by payer and health condition, 1996–2016. JAMA. 2020;323(9):863–884. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.0734. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. American Diabetes Association Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017. Diabetes Care. 2018;41(5):917–28. doi: 10.2337/dci18-0007. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gregory JM, Slaughter JC, Duffus SH, Smith TJ, LeStourgeon LM, Jaser SS, et al. COVID-19 severity is tripled in the diabetes community: a prospective analysis of the pandemic’s impact in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2021;44(2):526–532. doi: 10.2337/dc20-2260. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Thornton PL, Kumanyika SK, Gregg EW, Araneta MR, Baskin ML, Chin MH, et al. New research directions on disparities in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2020;1461(1):5–24. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14270. - DOI - PMC - PubMed