Social determinants of health and diabetes: using a nationally representative sample to determine which social determinant of health model best predicts diabetes risk

Social determinants of health (SDOH) research demonstrates poverty, access to healthcare, discrimination, and environmental factors influence health outcomes. Several models are commonly used to assess SDOH, yet there is limited understanding of how these models differ regarding their ability to predict the influence of social determinants on diabetes risk. This study compares the utility of four SDOH models for predicting diabetes disparities.

We utilized The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adulthood (Add Health) to compare SDOH models and their ability to predict risk of diabetes and obesity.

Previous literature has identified the World Health Organization (WHO), Healthy People, County Health Rankings, and Kaiser Family Foundation as the conventional SDOH models. We used these models to operationalize SDOH using the Add Health dataset. Add Health data were used to perform logistic regressions for HbA1c and linear regressions for body mass index (BMI).

The Kaiser model accounted for the largest proportion of variance (19%) in BMI. Race/ethnicity was a consistent factor predicting BMI across models. Regarding HbA1c, the Kaiser model also accounted for the largest proportion of variance (17%). Race/ethnicity and wealth was a consistent factor predicting HbA1c across models.

Policy and practice interventions should consider these factors when screening for and addressing the effects of SDOH on diabetes risk. Specific SDOH models can be constructed for diabetes based on which determinants have the largest predictive value.