Productivity and economic burden associated with diabetes

This report assessed the cost and burden of diabetes in broad terms of economic status, underlying disability, and barriers to health care--that is, as reflected in employment, income, disability days, general health status, and access to medical care. We used the 1990 to 1995 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey in Oklahoma to compare persons with diabetes with age-, sex-, and race/ethnicity-matched respondents without diabetes. Persons with diabetes were significantly and substantially worse off on all economic, disability, and access measures. Compared with nondiabetic persons, diabetic persons have fewer resources to deal with higher levels of disability and poorer health status.