State-Level Household Energy Insecurity and Diabetes Prevalence Among US Adults, 2020

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Household energy insecurity is a growing public health concern.
• Diabetes prevalence continues to rise, posing a significant health burden.
• The relationship between energy insecurity and chronic diseases like diabetes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between household energy insecurity and diagnosed diabetes prevalence at the state level in the United States for the year 2020.
• To identify potential public health interventions addressing energy insecurity to mitigate diabetes risk and complications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized state-level data from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey for household energy characteristics.
• Incorporated diagnosed diabetes prevalence data from the US Diabetes Surveillance System.
• Conducted a cross-sectional analysis to examine the correlation between energy insecurity and diabetes prevalence across states.

Main Results:

• A positive association was observed: states with a higher percentage of household energy insecurity exhibited greater diabetes prevalence.
• Conversely, states with lower energy insecurity reported lower diabetes prevalence.
• The findings highlight a significant link between energy insecurity and diabetes burden.

Conclusions:

• Household energy insecurity is linked to higher diabetes prevalence at the state level.
• Energy assistance interventions could potentially reduce energy insecurity and its associated diabetes risks.
• Addressing energy insecurity may alleviate diabetes management burdens, particularly during extreme weather conditions.