In a new nationwide study, Mayo Clinic researchers have shed light on factors contributing to diabetes rates in rural America. Their observational study found people in rural areas were more likely to develop diabetes (higher incidence) and to already have it (greater prevalence) compared to people in urban areas. However, when risk factors that can be changed, such as inactivity and obesity, were accounted for, the gap in diabetes prevalence and incidence narrowed, and in some cases, the trend reversed. Higher levels of inactivity and obesity were the strongest predictors of higher diabetes rates.
These findings suggest that rural Americans can make a big difference in their risk for diabetes with the right resources, including targeted medical and lifestyle interventions promoting healthy behaviors. In addition, these interventions could improve diabetes prevention for all people, no matter where they live.
Sagar Dugani, M.D., Ph.D., the study's first author, says that future research will focus on the best strategies for addressing diabetes risks in rural populations...
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