Study: Black Youth Living in Segregated Neighborhoods With Diabetes More Vulnerable to Negative Health Outcomes

High levels of racial residential segregation, a form of structural racism, are linked to adverse health outcomes in Black youth with type 1 diabetes. New research published in the May 2023 issue of Pediatrics (published online April 25) shows Black youth of low income who live in neighborhoods with relatively high levels of adversity are at a greater risk for suboptimal glycemic control. The study “Racial Residential Segregation and the Health of Black Youth with Type 1 Diabetes,” featured 148 participants recruited from seven pediatric diabetes clinics in Chicago and the greater metropolitan Detroit area. To qualify for the study, participants had to be between 10 and 14 years of age, be diagnosed with type 1 diabetes for at least six months and self-identify as Black. Researchers say the presence of higher segregation in the youths’ neighborhood was related to increases in hemoglobin A1c levels. Age and insulin delivery method were also tied to suboptimal glycemic control. Since the sample included only Black youth, researchers say their findings should not be generalized to youth with type 1 diabetes from other racial backgrounds. The authors of the study also say these findings suggest a critical need for policies that address neighborhood inequities – like unaffordable housing and redlining – as one way to improve pediatric diabetes population health. They added that more comprehensive screening of youth with type 1 diabetes could increase the likelihood that factors associated with racial residential segregation, such as inadequate access to resources, are identified and addressed by health care providers.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.