Exploring the social and neighbourhood predictors of diabetes: a comparison between Toronto and Chicago.

OBJECTIVES

This report examined the impact and extent that spatial access to primary care physicians (PCPs) and social neighbourhood-/community-level factors have on diabetes prevalence for Toronto and Chicago.

METHODS

The two-step floating catchment area method was used to compute spatial access scores. Bivariate correlation and multivariate linear regression identified the factors that were associated with, and/or predicted, diabetes prevalence.

RESULTS

Potential spatial access to PCPs had no strong associations with diabetes prevalence. Low socio-economic status factors and certain ethnic groups were strongly associated with diabetes prevalence for both cities. For Toronto, South American place of birth, households below poverty and high school-level education predicted diabetes prevalence. African ethnicity and households below poverty predicted diabetes prevalence for Chicago.

CONCLUSION

Although this report found no strong association between diabetes prevalence and access to PCPs, contextual factors significant in past individual-level diabetes studies were associated with diabetes prevalence at the neighbourhood/community level for Toronto and Chicago.