A study revealed new and actionable insights to reduce the burden of diabetes for our members.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota collaborated with a leading health services innovation company to conduct a whole-person analysis of the impact of social determinants on Type 2 diabetes.
The goal: To identify the most important clinical and nonclinical factors that impact the onset and progression of diabetes in members.
For this analysis, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation SDOH framework was used to connect social factors to diabetes health outcomes to understand how social determinants contribute to progress of disease and how we may intervene before that happens. This framework offers an actionable tool for applied health equity work at the individual and population level.
The Impact of Social Determinants on Type 2 Diabetes: An analytical study
Overwhelming evidence indicates that social determinants of health make up roughly 80% of a person’s health outcomes.1 And 68% of people experience at least one social determinant challenge at any given time.2
Over the past two decades, the rate of diabetes has doubled in the U.S., now ranking as the seventh leading cause of death.3
The burden of this disease is not shared equally, however. Research has shown that Type 2 diabetes affects marginalized populations unevenly, with the highest prevalence among people of color.4
Determinants of health
Number of diabetic cases in the U.S. in 20205
Proportion of diabetic cases that are Type 26
Annual diabetic-associated health care costs7
Americans are at risk of developing diabetes. 80-90% of these individuals are unaware.8
The study's findings have influenced our next steps and informed our enterprise diabetes strategy.
Note: This analysis focused on Type 2 diabetes, however, this framework could be applied to any disease.
There was significant impact of SDOH factors on incidence and severity among the commercial population. This is contrary to mainstream assumptions that SDOH factors are only significant for elderly and low-income members.
Learn more about the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation SDOH work.
1County Health Rankings Model. Accessed October 25, 2021.
2Kaiser Permanente Research: Social Needs in America.
3What is diabetes?, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed October 25, 2021.
4Statistics about Diabetes, American Diabetes Association
5National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2022.
8County Health Rankings Model. Accessed October 25, 2021.