Diabetes Is Major Health Problem for African Americans

This fact sheet examines diabetes prevalence and risk factors among African Americans in California and offers several policy recommendations in response to these findings. Using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey, the study demonstrates that differences in the prevalence of diabetes between racial and ethnic groups as well as disparities in key risk factors for diabetes are particularly alarming for African-American adults and adolescents. Some key findings include:

• Over 25% of African-American adults age 65 and over have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.
• More than six in ten African-American adults (62.7%) and three in ten adolescents (33.5%) not diagnosed with diabetes have weight above healthy levels.
• African-American adult females were less likely than white adult females to participate in regular physical activity (21.3% vs. 26.3%) or consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables (34.6% vs. 45%). A similar pattern is seen among males.
• While 60.8% of white female adolescents and 52.1% of white male adolescents watch two or less hours of television per day, only 32.5% of African-American males and 37.6% of African American females spend that little time watching television.

Funding for the research and the development of this fact sheet was provided by the California Endowment.

Publication Authors:

• Melissa S. Gatchell
• William McCarthy
• Allison L. Diamant, MD, MSHS