1279-P: Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Poor Glycemic Control in People with Type 2 Diabetes: The DISCOVER Study

Background: DISCOVER is a 3-year, observational study of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating second-line glucose-lowering therapy in 38 countries. We assessed socioeconomic factors associated with poor glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 9.0%) at baseline. Methods: In total, 15 342 participants from 36 countries were evaluated. HbA1c levels were recorded in 12 261 participants (79.9%). Factors associated with an increased likelihood of having HbA1c ≥ 9.0% were assessed using a hierarchical logistic regression model. Results: The mean HbA1c level was 8.4% (SD: 1.7%); 48.9%, 23.4% and 27.7% of patients had HbA1c < 8.0%, ≥ 8.0 to < 9.0%, and ≥ 9.0%, respectively. Socioeconomic factors associated with an increased likelihood of having HbA1c ≥ 9.0% (Figure) included living in lower middle-income (vs. high-income) countries, being treated at a site with public/governmental or mixed (vs. private) funding, having public or no (vs. private) health insurance and having primary or no formal (vs. secondary or higher) education. Male sex and being younger than 50 years of age were also associated with an increased likelihood of having HbA1c ≥ 9.0%. Conclusions: Lower socioeconomic status is associated with an increased likelihood of having HbA1c ≥ 9.0% in people with T2D initiating second-line therapy. Efforts are needed to address social determinants of health in patients with T2D.