Abstract

Diabetes mortality is associated with residential segregation in Miami, Florida
Track: Health and Human Services
Authors: Kelly Winter, Jeffrey Onsted

This study examined diabetes mortality rates and residential segregation (a geographic embodiment of institutionalized discrimination) in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Diabetes mortality data for census tracts were obtained from Florida CHARTS. Census shapefiles and data on household poverty and race/ethnicity were obtained from ESRI. Residential segregation was measured by the isolation index, on a scale of 0 to 1, (= 0.20 is very low; = 0.80 is very high). ArcGIS 10.0 was used to calculate census tract isolation scores and to identify diabetes mortality clusters. SPSS was used for correlation and linear regression analyses. The correlation between isolation and diabetes mortality was 0.251 (p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed that a one-unit increase in isolation was associated with a 0.295 unit increase in diabetes mortality while controlling for poverty. Future studies should examine neighborhood factors that may explain this relationship. This research could improve resource allocation and strengthen health promotion efforts.