Incidence of Diabetes Mellitus Narrowly Correlates with Unemployment Rate during 2000-2012 in the Czech Republic
Abstract
There is a documented association between higher unemployment rates in inner cities and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). Higher unemployment at regional level is also associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus.
Possible causes for the relationship between unemployment and diabetes mellitus include, for example, limited financial resources, which can lead to underfunded support of physical activity and healthy diets. Results from the DIAB-CORE Consortium, a study that examined, among other issues, the relationship between type 2 diabetes mellitus and various social aspects including unemployment in Germany, led us to question whether the relationship between unemployment rates and the incidence of diabetes mellitus could be confirmed for larger areas and over longer periods of time in the Czech Republic.
We also wanted to determine whether previous findings of a study involving a relatively small sample of patients could be verified using a different methodology based on population data (official unemployment figures) from all 14 administrative regions of the Czech Republic