Research shows diabetes' prevalence lowest here
NU grad and UCLA colleagues cite wealth, care, insurance
By Dave Moller, davem@theunion.com
» More from Dave Moller
12:01 a.m. PT Sep 7, 2007
Nevada County residents have the lowest prevalence of diabetes in the California - less than half the state average - according to a recent university report.
Serving on the research team for the report from the University of California, Los Angeles, was Theresa Hastert, 28, a 1996 graduate of Nevada Union High School. The Nevada County numbers line up with the general findings that people of color who can't afford continuous health care are more prone to diabetes, Hastert said.
The report suggests that people of lower incomes and education levels have higher diabetes rates because irregular medical care does not catch the warning signs.
"Nevada County is predominantly white, relatively affluent, mostly educated and mostly insured," Hastert said. That characterization also resembles Santa Cruz and Marin counties, the counties with the next-lowest incidences of diabetes found by the researchers.
"There is no one thing, but higher income is associated with better foods and exercise," Hastert said.
"Is it because they have time to cook something that is good for dinner?," she wondered. "If you're working three jobs, you might be grabbing junk food.
"It's such a beautiful area up there that it could be environmental as well," Hastert said. "I know I feel better when I come up there," from Los Angeles to see her mother, Patti Hastert, in Lake Wildwood.
"The higher socio-economic status would be a major reason overall and the homogeneity of the population," said Dr. Jonathan Pierce, a Nevada County internal medicine physician. "African-Americans and Hispanics have a higher rate (of diabetes). That's just the way it is."
The growing lack of access to primary health care in Nevada County could jeopardize the low diabetes rate here, Pierce said.
"But compared to L.A., where there's a lot of bad access, it's a huge problem there," Pierce said.
"Higher-income people are more likely to have (health) insurance and see a doctor on a regular basis," Hastert said.
The growing problem of obesity and lack of promotion of proper diet and exercise also contribute to rising diabetes rates overall, the report said.
To reduce the risk of diabetes, the report suggests limiting soda consumption in state schools and promoting access to fruits and vegetables. Physical activity also combats diabetes, the report said.
The UCLA team gleaned the statistics from the state's 2005 California Health Interview Survey. Nevada County had the lowest rate of diabetes, with 2.6 percent of the population
Imperial County - with a large population of Latinos and migrant farm workers - had the highest rate, at 11.2 percent.
The state-wide average is 6.8 percent of the population. Nationally, the average is 7 percent, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Diabetes can cause various medical complications including kidney disease, blindness, cardiovascular maladies, limb disease leading to amputation and, sometimes, death.
To see the full UCLA report, log on to http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/pubs/files/Diabetes_Epidemic_PB_082207.pdf
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To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail davem@theunion.com or call 477-4321.
California
diabetes rates by county
Lowest percentage of
population:
• Nevada, 2.6 percent.
• Marin, 3 percent
• Santa Cruz, 3.4 percent.
Highest percentage of population:
• Kings, 11.2 percent
• Imperial, 11 percent
• Tulare and Kern, 10.2 percent.
- Information from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
