Abstract
PurposeDiabetes mellitus (DM) is a global pandemic metabolic disorder. In recent years, the amount of medical resources required for the treatment of diabetes has increased as diabetes rates have gradually risen. The combined effects of individual and neighbourhood socio-economic status (SES) on DM survival rates are still not clear, especially in patients of working age. In this paper, we aim to analyze the combined effects of neighbourhood and individual SES on DM survival rates in patients of working age in Taiwan.MethodsThe study of 23,781 people who were diagnosed with DM by using population—based study between 2002 and 2006. Each sample was followed up for 4 years or as a sensor case. We defined Individual SES and neighbourhood SES by each patient’s job category and household income which characterized as advantaged or disadvantaged. Then we compared the survival rates by SES group used Cox proportional hazards model for adjust risk factors.ResultsThe 4-year overall survival rates of diabetic patients were worst for those with low individual SES who living in advantaged neighbourhoods. After adjustment for patient characteristics, DM patients with high individual SES living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods had the same risk of mortality as those patients with high individual SES living in advantaged neighbourhoods (hazard ratio: 1.11; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.81–1.51). The study found that DM patients with low individual SES who live in disadvantaged areas had a greater risk of mortality than those with high SES (odds ratio: 2.57; 95% CI: 2.04–3.24). There were significant differences in survival rates between patients with high individual SES and patients with low individual SES. In contrast, the results did not statistically significant differences in survival rates between advantaged and disadvantaged neighbourhood SES groups.ConclusionDM patients with low individual SES had the worst survival rate, regardless of whether they were living in a high or low SES neighbourhood area. The competitive cause of death, i.e., the fact that complications, rather than DM itself, are often the cause of death, may be the reason for the inverse relationship found between the effects of individual SES and neighbourhood SES on DM survival. We conclude that the socio-economic gradient in survival among DM patients may be the result of differences in access to medical treatment and attributes related to individual SES.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global pandemic metabolic disorder
After adjustment for patient characteristics, DM patients with high individual socio-economic status (SES) living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods had the same risk of mortality as those patients with high individual SES living in advantaged neighbourhoods
The study found that DM patients with low individual SES who live in disadvantaged areas had a greater risk of mortality than those with high SES
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global pandemic metabolic disorder. Its prevalence varies widely around the world, ranging from less than 1% of the population in some countries to more than 50% in others. DM is the most common disease resulting from insulin dysfunction, which results in a state of hyperglycaemia. There are two major primary types of DM: insulin-dependent DM and non-insulin-dependent DM. The World Health Organization estimated that around 25.8 million people in the United States and more than 330 million people worldwide suffer from DM.[1, 2]
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