DIABETES IN KENTUCKY
AFRICAN AMERICANS

DIABETES IS A COMMON DISEASE

• In general, African Americans have a higher prevalence of diabetes than Whites, and this is true in Kentucky.  An estimated 17.4% of the adult African American population in Kentucky has diabetes.  The rate of diagnosed diabetes is about two times higher in African American Kentuckians than White Kentuckians. 

• In 2003, diabetes was the 6th leading cause of death in Kentucky, but it was the 4th leading cause of death among African Americans in Kentucky. 

• Mortality rates due to diabetes are higher among the African American population than the White population in Kentucky.  In fact, the age-adjusted death rate due to diabetes for African Americans (57.5 per 100,000) in 2003 was nearly twice the comparable rate for the White population (30.7).

• The diabetes mortality rate for Black males was 1.7 times that of White males, while the death rate for Black females was about twice that of White females. 

DIABETES IS A CONTROLLABLE DISEASE

• Much of the sickness and death associated with diabetes can be eliminated through treatment approaches to normalize blood glucose levels including routine physician visits, self-management training, yearly dilated eye exams, routine foot exams, and A1C checks.

• The table below shows the preventive care practices reported by individuals with diabetes.  Improvement has been shown in diabetes care disparities in the African American population compared to the White population.