UCLA Center for Health Policy Research

This report, prepared by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, is the first on diabetes prevalence among Californians using data from the 2001 California Health Interview Survey (CHIS 2001). It presents findings at the state and county levels on the prevalence of diabetes, access to medical care, diabetes care and management, and “at risk” populations as well as implications for policy. A summary of the report is available in a policy brief - Nearly 1.5 Million Diagnosed and 2 Million More at Risk. The study and development of the report and brief were funded by a grant from The California Endowment. The authors are Allison L. Diamant, MD, MSHS, an assistant professor in the Division of Internal Medicine and Health Services at the UCLA School of Medicine and a faculty associate of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; also from the Center are Susan H. Babey, PhD, research scientist; E. Richard Brown, Center director and professor in the UCLA School of Public Health; and Neetu Chawla, MPH candidate and graduate student researcher. Among the key findings are: More than 1.4 million California adults (5.9%) and 12,000 adolescents ages 12-17 (0.4%) have been diagnosed with diabetes. Among adults ages 50-64, diabetes prevalence was significantly higher among African Americans (20.5%), Latinos (17.9%), and American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN) (19.6%) than Asians and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) (10.9%) and whites (8.3%). In California, 1.8 million adults not diagnosed with diabetes (8.2%) were at significant risk for developing diabetes because they were sedentary in conjunction with being overweight or obese. An additional 176,000 (6.0%) adolescents not diagnosed with diabetes were at risk because they did not participate in regular physical activity and were overweight or at risk for being overweight. Recommended policy actions include: The California Endowment joins the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research in calling for policy recommendations aimed at preventing obesity, ensuring access to preventative health care, and promoting effective diabetes management.